Broken Branches
by Cha's Aegis
Summary: Surviving sealing the Kyuubi into his daughter was easy for Minato. Rescuing her years later from her kidnappers then establishing a relationship with her proves to be the real challenge. Female Naruto. A/R
1. Chapter 1

In case this is your first visit to one of my stories, I like to gender bend Naruto into a girl. I also don't follow canon that closely and tweak it to suit my needs. So, there may be spoilers.

This story was inspired by another called 'The Day and Life of a Suicidal Girl' by KuroSora312. It was her idea of Minato rescuing Naruto from her kidnappers after years of separation that stuck in my head and just wouldn't leave me alone. I believe in giving credit where credit is due and thank her because if it weren't for her story, I would never have written this one.

I also dedicate this story to all my readers and reviewers (Excluding the revenge flamers, of course.) who have made my stories successful.

In particular, I wish to acknowledge four readers/reviewers in particular. RayneXHatake and Mischievous Puck for shamelessly feeding this plot bunny like always. I must also acknowledge Tallz Is De Langste Ster and Sneakscape for their wonderful reviews on my other stories. I've utilized their suggestions into writing this one and feel this fic has risen in quality in comparison to what I've posted so far.

I still have a long ways to go as a writer and I plan on reworking my other fics using their suggestions on them as well. For now, I start fresh with this one and hope the quality has improved.

Thank you, everyone, for reading!

* * *

><p>Ceaseless clouds of choking dust ebb and flow, crashing against sharp edges and craggy surfaces, swirling for new avenues of escape. New surges littered with sharp, pulverized bits of rock and debris frequently added to the mix, strengthening it with renewed vigor with every violent shudder of the earthen floor. The polluted air pulsates and vibrates in sync with the distant, otherworldly roars far too terrifyingly close for comfort.<p>

Hell must have erupted on earth.

At any other time, that fleeting thought would amuse Minato. Unfortunately, this isn't any other time.

Vivid blue eyes narrow in intense concentration, ignoring the stinging dust. Steady hands meticulously, yet urgently draw the complicated seal onto the abdomen of the squirming newborn. Crouched low over the wicker basket situated on the floor in front of him, Minato works patiently despite the dim light and claustrophobic confines of the cave they're sheltered in. Sweat rolls down his neck, soaking his collar and the back of his neck. Viciously he suppresses all emotion as he briefly glances up to the infant's face.

The child's downy red hair is stiff, plastered to the soft skull with the sticky remnants of birth. Tiny fists clench in fear near the squalling mouth. Tear tracks cut sharp paths across chubby cheeks; standing in stark contrast to the red, dust coated skin.

His eyes flick over to a pallet lying a scant yard or two away. His red haired love, Kushina, partially props herself on one elbow. Ignoring the danger surrounding them, she weakly attempts to soothe and comfort their baby with her voice. Briefly, Minato wryly thinks that Naruto will certainly know her own name by the time she is able to walk.

Tearing his gaze back to the complicated seal, Minato doesn't have time to dwell on his thoughts. He doesn't need to waste the effort.

He already knows.

He is condemning Naruto to life as a jinchuriki without either of her parents. His own life, no, his soul will be the fee to summon the Shinigami to seal the Kyuubi currently raging destruction on Konoha onto Naruto's belly. Minato doesn't kid himself about Kushina. She is in very bad shape from Uchiha Madara ripping the demon from her own seal after giving birth. He doubts medical help will arrive in time. The only ones who knew she would be giving birth tonight and, more importantly, where, are dead. No one is left to summon help.

Stonewalls crack and crumble ominously around them. Tiny coughs, choking though wailing cries mix with Kushina's hacking cough caused by the renewed surge of dust as the ground reverberates underneath them.

Grimly smiling, Minato straightens up with the last stroke. Reaching out, he briefly caresses a small, chubby cheek. Turning back to Kushina, their gazes lock. Both understand. It is time. He resists moving Naruto's basket closer to give Kushina a few more minutes with their daughter. Minato insisted during their short, fierce argument earlier that Naruto has to remain isolated in her basket during the sealing. Kushina's own chakra, even as depleted as it is, could possibly interfere, causing the jutsu to fail. The fiery redhead grudgingly acquiesced, promising retaliation when they meet again in the afterlife.

Minato's smile softens as he moves over to crouch beside his wife. Without hesitation, he swoops in, claiming her mouth in an intense kiss. No words are needed. Reluctantly they part and, without further delay, Minato disappears from the cave.

* * *

><p>'<em>Yes indeed, Hell has been unleashed,'<em> Minato thought bitterly as the fierce winds howl around, drowning out the deafening roars of the Kyuubi.

From his perch atop the racing boss toad, Gamabunta, Minato takes in the devastation wreaked by the raging beast. The land will certainly never be the same. He is also well aware who is responsible for this disaster. However, the knowledge brings little comfort. He won't have the opportunity to seek justice.

Within moments, Gamabunta maneuvers into position. Acrid scents of smoldering trees and flesh penetrate the dirt smell filling Minato's nose. With a deep breath and no hesitation, his hands blur through a complicated set of seals.

There is no time to wonder if the jutsu worked.

The world immediately fades to inky blackness. No light penetrates and silence reigns. The sound of Minato's heavy breathing are swallowed by nothingness. Glancing down, he sees how he stands out in the void, as a sole light in the dark. However, his body illuminates nothing. Raising his eyes, he isn't surprised to see the eerie apparition of the Shinigami seep into existence. He manages to keep outwardly calm in the intimidating presence of the death god, but his traitorous heart betrays him with its frenetic pace.

Minato watches in morbid fascination as the hovering apparition raises his hand toward the empty void. He is stunned when a shocked Madara coalesces into existence in front of the death god. There is no opportunity for words as translucent "hands" emerge from the Shinigami's stomach. Stretching out through a seemingly frozen Madara, the hands penetrate his torso before abruptly disappearing into the void.

Moments later, the hands withdraw, steadily tugging a violently undulating, thick, red tendril. Minato recognizes the feel of the foul chakra emanating off the tendril as the Kyubbi's. Madara's expression morphs into abject horror. Realization penetrating his mind, as he comprehends exactly what is happening.

The hands retreat completely into the Shinigami, drawing in the silvery essence of the Uchiha's soul along with the Kyuubi's chakra. The two tendrils disappear into the Shinigami's stomach as Madara's limp corpse fades into nothingness. Snapping his attention back onto the Shinigami, a thinner red tendril reemerges, slithering back into the void, directed by the death god's hand.

Once the tendril disappears, the Shinigami fades and Minato's entire awareness quickly merges with the darkness.

* * *

><p>The rhythmic pounding of drums penetrates Minato's senses. It takes a few moments to correct that assessment. He's not <em>hearing<em> a steady drumming; he's _feeling_ a steady throbbing of a punishing headache. His skull feels like it's being cracked open with some sort of heavy, blunt object. Hesitantly, he opens his eyes.

Minato isn't certain of anything as he blankly stares up at the hazy, night sky. He isn't certain there was a chakra demon rampaging near Konoha or he had, in fact, summoned the Shinigami to seal the beast into his own daughter. His understanding was that as the summoner, his soul would be locked in an eternal battle with the Kyuubi in the Shinigami's stomach.

He wasn't expecting to see stars peeking between thick clouds of wafting smoke. He doubts the Shinigami would worry over aesthetics while an eternal battle rages in his stomach.

Lifting his head slightly, Minato winces as a new wave of pain crashes through his skull. Examining his surroundings, all he sees is grass. His ears pick up distant shouts while acrid scents assault his nose. Easing into a sitting position, wonder and amazement dispel any remaining confusion when he realizes he's still alive.

Quickly climbing to his feet, Minato gains his bearings before taking off to find Kushina and Naruto, desperate to determine if they survived as well. Racing across fields, a vague thought occurs to him. He's still the Hokage, he should check on the village first. The thought is violently shoved away as his focus narrows down to two people who are far more important than the village at the moment.

Minato slows when the cave comes into view. He comes to an abrupt halt when two of his shinobi block his path. He recognizes them instantly, but can't recall either shinobi's name. The two jounins stare in shock at their disheveled, filthy leader. Until that moment, no one was certain Minato survived whatever jutsu he performed to save them from the Kyuubi.

"Why are you stopping me?" Minato demands, raising a finger to point at the cave. "I need to get to that cave!"

The female jounin recovers first. "Minato-sama, if you're referring to Kushina-san and her baby, they have been taken by the medics for treatment."

Minato blinks at the woman as relief floods his senses. The medics wouldn't have been the ones to remove Naruto and Kushina from the cave if they died. Recovering, he asks, "Where were they taken?"

The male jounin points off to his right. "Triage tents were set up. They're about six kilometers that way."

Nodding his thanks, Minato takes off. Apprehension knots his stomach. Yes, Kushina and Naruto are alive, but in what condition?

The tent looms into view quickly. Minato slows down to a brisk jog as he approaches. Able-bodied shinobi pause in their tasks to gape, realizing their Hokage is still alive! Not giving anyone a chance to question him, Minato ducks into the tent. Ignoring the chaos, he grabs the first medic he sees, regardless if they're busy or not.

"Where is Uzumaki Kushina?"

Raising a shaky hand, the intimidated medic points to another tent. "She is being examined right now."

Without waiting for further explanation, Minato releases the woman and heads for the tent. Blatantly abusing his position, he barges in and badgers the medics into letting him see Kushina. One recovers his wits enough to show him the way.

All anxiety vanishes when he spots Kushina lying on a pallet in a far corner while a medic struggles to examine her. She is wholly uncooperative, insisting on keeping a close eye on the medic examining Naruto on the pallet next to hers and refusing to answer any questions regarding her own condition. She barks out questions, demanding answers regarding Naruto. Relief lights up her exhausted, worried face when she sees Minato.

The world narrows down to the two of them as Minato rushes forward to fiercely embrace his wife. The moans and cries of dying or injured patients and the shouted commands of medics fade into silence as the couple revels in their reunion.

Reality comes crashing back in when a medic bursts their solitary bubble. He gently taps Minato's shoulder until he reluctantly turns to the interloper. Attempting to pull medic rank, he gently but firmly insists Minato wait outside as they continue the exams.

Leveling a freezing glare, Minato succinctly states, "I _will_ remain."

He watches in smug satisfaction the internal debate play across the medic's face. Finally the man shakes his head, determining that arguing isn't worth the effort and turns back to his patients.

* * *

><p>'<em>Well, at least something positive came from this night,' <em>Sarutobi Hiruzen muses silently after dismissing the chunin reporting in.

As the office door clicks shut behind the departing chunin, he turns his scrutinizing gaze out the windows. He can't hear the chaos within the darkened confines of the silent Hokage's office. He doesn't need to. The images of random fires throughout the village lighting up the hazy night sky paint a complete enough picture.

Silently, he mulls over the news that Minato is alive and sadistically intimidating the medics in the triage tents. It's joyous news, indeed. He knew what Minato planned on doing. Both understood the younger man would not survive. Questions without immediate answers sprout in Hiruzen's head. However, he certainly will not settle them here in his former office.

Grinning in the darkness, the aged Hokage decides to visit the medic tents. Recovery and relief efforts are well underway, so there is no need for him to remain. Outwardly, he reasons to his questioning assistants that he must check the status of the situation. Privately, he wishes to enjoy the show provided by his successor to ease some of the night's tragedy.

The diversion is certainly needed as he wends his way toward the medic tents. He assesses the disaster inflicted onto the village with his own eyes.

Navigating proves difficult at times as the way is often blocked with rubble from partially collapsed buildings or gaping fissures in the street. Shinobi are everywhere, searching for trapped survivors or rushing by to complete urgent tasks.

One thing Hiruzen is absolutely certain of is that regardless of his successor being alive, his precious retirement is over.

Upon arriving at the triage tents, Hiruzen indulges a couple of the head medics by listening to their status reports. He is pleased to hear that most of the injured are expected to survive. The news does little to offset the rising number of confirmed dead so far.

Carefully weaving his way through the tents, he quickly finds the younger man. A serene smile graces the older man's lips as he silently observes the scene before him. The dirt-covered blond sits on the pallet behind his wife, allowing her to lean against him. He watches as Kushina carefully cradles and fusses over the bundle in her arms. The couple looks up and smiles as Hiruzen approaches.

"I hear congratulations are in order," Hiruzen states, stepping closer, amusement coloring his tone.

"Kushina did most of the work. I just contributed some of the materials," Minato quips, his smile widening as he glances down over Kushina's shoulder.

"I meant for succeeding in defeating the Kyuubi," Hiruzen quips wryly, causing Minato's face to flush vividly. "But congratulations are in order for your child's successful birth as well."

Kushina laughs after glancing up at Minato's face. Grinning back sheepishly, he gently eases out from behind her and helps her lay down. Once she's comfortable with Naruto secure in her arms, he leans in to kiss her tenderly, quietly promising to check on them later. Nodding, Kushina watches as he follows a still grinning Hiruzen back to the Hokage tower.

Minutes later the two, exhausted Hokage enter the secure confines of Minato's office. They tacitly agree not to discuss anything until the door is safely shut behind them and the security seals are active.

Hiruzen gratefully accepts Minato's offer of tea. Once they are both settled, the retired Hokage asks about Kushina and Naruto's conditions.

The blond runs a tired hand through filthy hair. "The medic said Kushina is in critical condition. Her chakra is depleted down to almost nothing and her network is completely trashed. They say she's in bad shape, but her chances of surviving are good. They just don't know if her network will recover, though."

"She may need a skilled medic like Tsunade," Hiruzen nods thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, she has not kept in touch as she's supposed to. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. You may need to send Jiraiya to track her down."

"Sensei is gonna love you for that one," Minato smirks, causing the older man to chuckle.

"Probably, but it's the least he can do for causing the chaos at the bathhouse the last time he returned to the village."

Both men chuckle at the memory.

"I'll send a toad to him with his new orders."

"And Naruto?" Hiruzen asks, shrewdly eyeing the younger man over his teacup.

Staring into his cup for a long moment, Minato takes a sip before setting it down and leaning back in his chair. "From what I was told, it was because of Naruto's screams as the Kyuubi was sealed in her that led our nins to discovering the cave. The medic explained that had Kushina been found later, she wouldn't have made it."

The blond pauses to sigh heavily, guilt weighing heavily on his entire demeanor. "Physically, Naruto is perfectly fine. The medic was curious about the seal on her stomach, but I ordered him not to speculate on it further or mention it to anyone else. It's enough that I know about it. Based on the symptoms described by the medic, it seems the sealing traumatized Naruto. She isn't responding to stimulus like a normal newborn. She's flinching at every touch and noise. Kushina said Naruto hasn't cried since the sealing was complete and, by the time you arrived, hasn't been able to get her to nurse."

Lost in thought, Hiruzen fingers the empty teacup sitting on the desk in front of him. "A newborn is not going to easily accept the chaos involved in sealing such powerful chakra," he muses thoughtfully. "However, children are resilient. Given time, she will recover." Minato nods in agreement, prompting the older man to arch a brow. "Are you ready to talk about what happened and explain how it is you still walk among us?"

Sighing again, Minato lifts his cup to finish off his tea. "I am. You'll be even more surprised to hear Uchiha Madara was still walking among us as well."

Sarutobi Hiruzen is a very smart man. One doesn't earn the title of Professor without the ability to back it up. However, he found it difficult to wrap his mind around the idea that Madara could still be alive after all these years. The implications are astounding, raising even more questions.

Minato watches Hiruzen process the news before nodding in understanding. "He is the reason why everyone who went with us outside the village so Kushina could give birth are dead."

Hiruzen's surprised gaze snaps to Minato. Tamping down the resurging grief at the reminder of his wife's untimely death, Hiruzen's eyes narrow as he silently waits for the younger man to explain.

"Madara attacked minutes after Kushina gave birth," Minato begins reluctantly. "He killed everyone else and kidnapped her after I freed Naruto as his hostage. Once I hid Naruto somewhere safe, I caught up with the bastard. Madara already ripped the Kyuubi out of Kushina. I attacked and we immediately began grappling. I barely managed to wrestle him away from Kushina. For such an old guy, he was a tough fight," Minato quips facetiously, prompting a small grin from Hiruzen before continuing.

"It was difficult, but I got out a kunai. Crafty old bastard knocked it out of my hand. I was low on kunai and dug around my weapons pouch while struggling to fend him off. My hand caught onto the small medic kit Rin gave me during the war. Of all the things to grab, my fingers found a small blood ampoule." Minato shrugs indifferently. "I didn't have time to even register what it was. All that mattered it was sharp and pointy. It was enough to use as a distraction. So I jabbed it into Madara's neck, giving me the upper hand."

Minato's voice softens as his tone grows chilling. "I wanted to coat my hands with Madara's blood, but he had what he came for and decided to retreat. I don't even remember sliding the filled ampoule into my pocket. I was too busy taking Kushina to where I hid Naruto. We argued over our options before she agreed to let me seal the demon into Naruto."

"Why did you think that was the best option, Minato?" Hiruzen asks, confusion coloring his tone. "You know what life is like for a jinchuriki and if you and Kushina both lost your lives, Naruto would've had to endure that alone."

"I can explain my reasons in more detail later," Minato promises, guilt accenting the weariness etched into his dirt smudged features. "Doing so now will only unnecessarily lengthen my story of what happened tonight."

Drawing out his pipe from his robes, Hiruzen lights it before nodding at Minato to continue.

"Now, remember when we received intelligence on Suna sealing Shukaku into a new container?" At Hiruzen's nod, Minato continues. "We didn't have a lot of details, like the identity of the jinchuriki, but we did learn the demon was sealed in a newborn child using it's mother as the sacrifice. That memory crossed my mind and got me thinking when I dug in my pocket for a brush and found the ampoule. It was a long shot, but I figured I'd try taking Madara with me," the blond shrugs. "So I used the bastard's blood to draw the seal. When I was ready, I summoned Gamabunta and we went to face the Kyuubi. I performed the hand signs and everything became a fathomless void around me."

Minato's voice becomes quieter as his gaze drops to his desktop. "The Shinigami appeared before me and I knew that was it. What I didn't expect was for Madara to appear between us." Hiruzen's brows arch in surprise, prompting Minato nod before continuing. "The Shinigami took Madara's soul as payment for the sealing. My guess is that even though I did the signs, the fact it was Madara's blood on the seal means his soul had to be taken to complete the contract."

Both Hokage sit in silence as Hiruzen absorbs the implications and Minato loses himself in thought.

"We will have to do some research," Hiruzen finally ventures, breaking the silence, "but I heard such a thing is possible. As you know, Minato, to perform a summon, a certain set of hand signs must be used and the blood of the summoner is required. That is a strict guideline that must be met when a shinobi is dealing with the creatures they hold a contract with. You wouldn't be able to summon the toads if you tried using someone else's blood who does not hold a contract with them."

Minato acknowledges he understands with a nod.

"However, since you do not hold such a contract with the Shinigami, as sealing the Kyuubi was only intended to be a one time event, then that condition may not be as strict," Hiruzen continues with a puff of his pipe. "The blood of the one who's soul is payment to Shinigami must be used, but it does not have to belong to the one performing the seals. I'd venture to guess that might be what Suna did with the Shukaku. I doubt the mother was in any condition to do it herself after just giving birth."

"That it makes sense," Minato nods again before smirking. "I just accidentally stumbled across that theory on the fly." Hiruzen returns the younger man's smirk as he becomes serious and continues. "However, I'm still surprised I could still see the Shinigami. I'm thinking that as the medium facilitating sealing of the Kyuubi, I must've been required to act as a sort of witness to the transaction."

Sarutobi nods, adding, "We probably won't find much, but some of the old sealing archives should have information confirming your theories to a certain degree."

Stifling a yawn, Minato swivels his chair to gaze out at the ruined village. Behind him, Hiruzen sighs wearily.

"It is going to take awhile for the village to recover from Madara's machinations," the aged Hokage muses quietly.

Nodding, Minato swivels his chair back around to face his predecessor. "I hate to ask this," he begins regretfully, "but I must ask you to temporarily become an active Hokage again to help me with the clean up. I also need your help investigating this attack." The blond's gaze matches the steely tone of his voice. "I doubt Madara was acting alone."

Hiruzen arches a brow. "Are you suggesting the Uchiha clan participated based on their relation to the man?"

"Not just on their kinship," Minato growls. "We've both had our suspicions of the clan and their loyalty to Konoha for sometime now. Is it really inconceivable that they may have aided Madara somehow?"

"No," Hiruzen admits reluctantly. "It is quite possible. So far the entire scenario is too well executed for Madara not to have help. We may no longer have to worry about Madara, but the clan remains a viable threat if they are involved somehow." Sighing heavily, he takes another puff on his pipe. "I will end my retirement to help in anyway I can, Minato."

Minato's entire demeanor changes as a bright smile lights up his face. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

Chuckling at the younger man, Hiruzen waves it off before both solemnly gaze back out the windows, watching the drifting smoke mute the first rays of the rising sun.

* * *

><p>For those wondering, an ampoule is a sealed glass capsule containing a measured quantity of medicine. They're used in emergency situations where there isn't enough time to measure out a correct dose. The context I'm using them here is similar to when Kakashi snagged a sample of Kakuzu's blood in Shippuden. The ampoule is empty in case a ninja died in the field from unknown poisons, their blood sample could be analyzed for possible antidotes.<p>

Also, six kilometers is about 3.7 miles.


	2. Chapter 2

The early morning light bathes the landscape in an otherworldly, ethereal glow, enveloping everything in gauzy, rosy hues. Time seemingly pauses in brief, quiet repose as the world slowly awakens from the waning night.

A soft sigh seeps into the stillness of the room. Clear, blue eyes wearily gaze out the window over the deceptively normal looking village. From this high perspective, debris piles of collapsed structures lie just out of view, dormant between intact neighbors, patiently awaiting removal by the refuse teams.

Lids slide shut as a battle worn hand reaches up to gently rub away the remaining vestige of sleep. A moment later it drops away as the other hand raises a steaming cup of tea to grateful lips.

Minato relishes these all too brief moments of peaceful solitude. It has been four long, difficult months since the Kyuubi attack. Despite the exhausting hours it seems as if they barely made a dent in the recovery efforts.

He places his cup back down on the small table next to his chair. Easing back into the recliner Minato supposes he should be more grateful. The village wasn't obliterated in the attack. The death toll is high, but they still retain a sizable shinobi force. The hospital is still bursting at the seams, but all the injured are recovering and slowly returning to their families.

A soft smile tugs at his lips as he mentally admits his gratitude in knowing his family survived the ordeal. They may not have survived intact, but they survived nonetheless. Thankfully, Kushina no longer convalesces at the hospital. The medics allowed her to return home with strict orders of bed rest.

Obviously, said medics don't know his wife very well.

Despite having Sarutobi active as a Hokage again and helping him, long hours keep Minato at the office instead of at home with Kushina and Naruto. He has to frequently sneak away in order to see them during daylight.

After noting how ragged Minato was being run by his duties, Kushina insisted on moving into the Hokage Mansion. She and Minato prefer their own cozy home because they have more privacy. More importantly, they were far from the chaos of the tower. Per medical advice, Minato knew Kushina and Naruto needed peace and quiet and wouldn't get that at the tower. However, Kushina held her ground, insisting she had to if they want to see each other. Sacrificing some of their privacy is a small price to pay for that.

Soft gurgling and cooing noises break into Minato's musings. A pleased grin spreads across his face as he moves swiftly over to a bassinet in the far corner of the room. Crouching down low, he slowly peers over the edge of the bassinet only to duck down quickly when the baby catches sight of him. He repeats the movement, each time adopting a different, goofy expression. Naruto burbles happily and shakes tiny fists when he finally ends their little game to lift her out.

Simultaneously he catches a whiff of something foul while noting she's got a full load in her bottom. Arching a brow, he levels a playfully reproving glare at his daughter.

"Someone obviously doesn't think daddy has enough work to do already," he admonishes quietly.

A wiggle followed by a soft fart is Naruto's only reply as she obliviously attempts to stuff her fist into her mouth.

"Don't worry. Daddy doesn't mind," Minato smiles softly before pressing a gentle kiss to her brow. "He's becoming quite the expert at a quick change. He just has to figure out how to combine the hiraishin and diaper changing and we're all set!"

Carrying Naruto over to a nearby changing table, Minato strips her free of her onesie. His face scrunches up in disgust when he releases her diaper and gets a good look at the contents. Amused at his expression, she flashes a toothless smile and energetically kicks her feet.

Minato smirks as he carefully rolls up the filthy diaper and sets it aside. "You like to go all out, don't you, sweetheart?"

Answering with flailing arms she then settles to watch as he cleans her up and changes her into a fresh diaper. Minato knew better than to delay for long or there'd be a puddle on the changing table.

As he changes Naruto into a fresh onesie, Minato muses on how far she has come since the sealing. The initial trauma made her withdrawn for a few weeks. No matter what they tried, she was unresponsive to stimulus and they couldn't get her to nurse. She was literally starving to death on them. So she had to remain in the ICU and fitted with a feeding tube.

Minato and Kushina were very worried. They didn't know how much her development would be delayed in the long run. Fortunately, Naruto proved far more resilient than they could hope for and she bounced back quickly. It wasn't long until she turned into the lively distraction Minato gladly sneaks out of work for every chance he gets.

Lifting Naruto onto his shoulder, Minato leaves the room and heads into the kitchen. With one hand he plucks a bottle from the fridge and deftly pops it into the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. Shifting her into the crook of his arm, he gently sways to distract her. He noticed her brow scrunching up, a sure sign of an impending squall-fest. It is one trait Kushina can't deny; Naruto got her powerful lungs from her momma.

Through trial and error, and loads of advice from the Sandaime in particular, they developed a routine that more often than not prevents Naruto from exercising those lungs too frequently. It doesn't work all the time, but it helps. Their joint goal is to anticipate Naruto's needs before she remembers she has lungs and knows how to use them.

The ding of the microwave captures Naruto's attention as she looks around for the source.

"What is that?" Minato gasps in a goofy voice. "Is that something good? I bet I know what that is!"

He continues talking nonsense to the squirmy infant as he screws the nipple onto the bottle. Picking it up, he brings it close to the hand holding Naruto so he can tighten it. Bringing the bottle up and tilting it, he teases her mouth. Latching on, she immediately begins enjoying her first meal of the day.

Minato smiles at the look of concentration on her face as little hands clutch at the bottle. "That's it, sweetheart. Don't miss a drop. It's not as good as your momma's milk, but you can have that later. Let's let her sleep a little longer, okay?"

As much as he wants both Kushina and Naruto to recover in peace, far from the stress and noise permeating the tower recently, Minato is glad they spend most of their time there. It eases his mind having them in close proximity while the village is vulnerable. He can keep an eye on both.

As it is, Kushina and bed rest are two very incompatible things. Almost daily he scolds her for being on her feet, doing something like cleaning. Each time he is swiftly reminded that inactivity has not affected his wife's aim, regardless of the object at hand.

Minato pulls the bottle from Naruto's mouth, much to her displeasure. Setting it down, he reaches for one of the many spit cloths he and Kushina like to keep all over the mansion. They come in handy for all baby related excretions and accidents. Draping it over a shoulder, he shifts Naruto up to it and begins thumping a light beat on her back, while swaying to a gentle rhythm.

Having his wife and daughter so close to the office also makes life more interesting. Within the past two weeks Kushina has been randomly appearing in his office, under the lame pretense of bringing Naruto out to visit her daddy. The first time they stopped by, Minato helpfully pointed out that it is a good thing she has never gone into Infiltrations. She makes a terrible liar.

That statement proved Kushina's legs were as strong as ever.

Demonstrating great multi-tasking skills, she kicked out his chair from under him while holding Naruto, causing him to slam his chin on the edge of his desk. His jaw still throbs every time he thinks of that incident.

A loud belch cuts through the air. Chuckling he shifts Naruto back into the crook of his arm and replaces the bottle into her mouth so she can finish her meal.

Amusement colors Minato's voice as he comments, "There will be shinobi who will be jealous of your ability to belch like that, sweetheart. Even your momma is impressed and, trust me, it's hard to impress that lady."

Naruto doesn't reply. She's too focused on breakfast to care.

Minato looks forward to Kushina and Naruto's daily visits. Kushina never says when she's coming, though. He's certain she must have a spy or two among his office staff because she always stops by when he isn't in a closed-door meeting. Because of the frequency and length of their visits Minato had a bassinet brought in and set up in the corner of his office.

Sarutobi loves when they visit and shamelessly ignores all paperwork, regardless of importance, to play with Naruto. Minato certainly understands the older man's eagerness to engage in any distraction from the endless stream of paperwork and meetings.

At least when Kushina is visiting, Minato knows she's not doing something she's not supposed to. Long ago he realized Kushina didn't know the meaning of 'medical leave'. The chair incident reminded him not to point such things out, so he makes sure to keep that observation to himself. Kushina helps as much as she can, mostly with paperwork, since there isn't much she can do physically to help with the recovery efforts. However, Minato notices it eases some of her tension. It also gives them both a lot of time to spend with each other and Naruto.

Glancing down, Minato notices Naruto has nearly finished her bottle. Pulling it away, he sets it aside and lifts her back into place against his shoulder. Resuming his light thumping on her back, it isn't long until a longer belch rings in his ear.

Grinning, he shifts Naruto back into his arm so he can wipe the formula from her mouth with the spit cloth.

"I'm still trying to figure out where you manage to fit those belches in that little body, Naruto. Might turn into a possible jutsu. Instead of an elemental attack, you could knock your opponents down with a belch!"

Naruto doesn't seem interested in the idea. Small hands stretch out, trying to grab at his hair. Still smiling, Minato tosses the spit cloth aside and angles her higher so she can snag her prize.

"What do you say we go and see if momma is awake now?"

Naruto merely tugs on his hair as he starts walking back toward the bedroom.

Minato is the first to admit that living in the Hokage Mansion has its pluses. It can be described as a large, luxury apartment. There is plenty of room for the Hokage's family and guests. Security certainly isn't an issue. The entire tower complex is the most secure location in the entire village. However, it just doesn't feel like home to him.

He hates how merely stepping out the front door means he's automatically the Hokage. Whenever he left the home he shares with Kushina for work, he could still be himself. There was time during the leisurely walk to the tower to become Minato the Yondaime Hokage. He doesn't get that transition time living in the mansion. He knows there are shinobi already waiting for orders or to address some pressing issue just outside the front door. He's on the clock immediately and hates it.

Reaching the bedroom door, he slowly opens it and peers inside. He grins as he spies Kushina with her arms raised above her head, arching her back in a sensuous stretch. Well, she wouldn't describe it as sensuous, but the perverted part of his mind does. Especially when he sees how her nightshirt stretches over her boobs.

She drops her arms and relaxes into a grin when he pushes the door open wider and steps inside.

"Look who's awake, Naruto," he tells his daughter as he walks over to his first favorite redhead.

Kushina reaches out as Minato gently eases the baby into her arms.

"There's my girl," Kushina coos at the burbling infant. When he settles next to her on the bed and wraps his arms around her, she turns to eagerly meet his lips in a deep, slow kiss.

Naruto completely ignores her parents as her fingers capture her interest again and she shoves them into her mouth.

When they finally separate, Minato huskily whispers, "Good morning."

"Good morning, blondie," Kushina whispers back.

Leaning forward, she closes her eyes as her forehead meets his and they savor the moment until Naruto's burbling recaptures their attention. Breaking apart both smile down at their daughter as she flashes a toothless grin.

"How'd you sleep?" Minato asks, resting his chin on his wife's shoulder to watch Naruto grab her mother's finger and start gumming it.

"Good," she replies, not tearing her gaze from her daughter. "I'm up for annoying the medics again and asking when I can start training to get back into shape. This baby weight isn't going to magically disappear, y'know."

Minato chuckles knowingly. Her comment only shows her eagerness to get back to doing what she loves. However, Kushina also knows the medics won't give her the go ahead anytime soon.

"While you're annoying the medics, I'll summon sensei into the office to get him started on searching for Tsunade."

Startled, Kushina twists around to gape at Minato, forcing him to straighten up. "I thought Tsunade has been avoiding anything to do with the village and Hiruzen has no clue where she is."

"True," he concedes, sticking his finger within reach so Naruto can grab it and start gumming it since Kushina had pulled hers away in surprise. "But if anyone can track down Tsunade, it's sensei."

Frowning, Kushina straightens up to refocus her attention on their daughter. "Is Jiraiya even around? Or are you going to have to wait for him to take his sweet ass time returning to Konoha again?"

"I have it on good authority he got back in Konoha yesterday. I'm already getting complaints of a white-haired peeping Tom skulking about the onsens. Besides," Kushina can hear the smirk in Minato's voice as he settles his chin back onto her shoulder, "he's not willing to test whether I'll follow through on my threat to shut down the onsens indefinitely due to potential environmental health concerns lingering from the Kyuubi attack. So he knows not to blow off one of my summons again."

Kushina sniggers before growling out a thought that occurs to her. "If that old pervert dares to ever peek on Naruto, all that will be left of him for Hiruzen to eulogize at his memorial service is his balls. Afterward, I'll have them turned into Baoding balls."

Glancing over her shoulder, she notes Minato's arched brow and adds in a reasoning tone, "The medics _do_ want me to relax more. What better way than with customized meditation balls?"

"You realize sensei will have something perverted to say about that, right?"

"Sure!" she chirps. "He'll get his chance to make some crack about me playing with his balls. Then I'll rip out his tongue and make him watch as I remove said balls before disposing of the rest of his remains."

"I don't think you'll get the chance, Kushina," Minato snorts. "I don't plan on allowing Naruto to _ever_ set foot in an onsen to give sensei the chance to peep on her."

"Poor baby!" Kushina soothes to Naruto. "Daddy already declared you won't get to date until you're at least thirty. At this rate you'll be lucky to ever set foot out of the house!"

Both laugh when Naruto's only response is to blow a raspberry before resuming the gumming of her mother's finger.

"I guess there's the gauntlet, Min," Kushina quips over her shoulder.

"She wouldn't be our daughter if she did as she was told," Minato smiles down at the infant while tenderly stroking a chubby cheek with a finger. "She got stuck with the most stubborn, determined and obstinate parents in all of Konoha. She was doomed to be defiant from the start."

"You're not even old enough to walk and you're doing your momma proud!" Kushina coos at Naruto. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she adds softly.

"Neither would I," Minato agrees before sighing heavily. "I guess I better start getting ready for work."

"If Kakashi is on duty, assign him to our guard detail today," Kushina suggests with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I want to see him squirm when I make him watch Naruto while I pretend to get busy with something."

"Pretend my ass," Minato laughs, ignoring his wife's scowl. "I'll do it anyway since I still haven't forgiven him for sneaking behind my back and convincing Hiruzen to sign off and allow him to test for ANBU. Not after I repeatedly told him 'no', he was too young for it. So make sure to give him a hard time for me."

"Sure will," Kushina laughs, causing Naruto to flash another toothless smile. "My favorite is to have him give her a bath because I'm feeling a little too _tired_ to do it myself. I love seeing the look on his face when I ask."

"I've got to pull that on him sometime just to see it for myself," Minato grins.

He kisses Kushina on the cheek then leans down to kiss Naruto before sliding off the bed to get ready for work.

* * *

><p>Coming to the Hokage Tower for any reason is not among the things Jiraiya willingly does at any given time. Coming to the Tower always means more responsibilities dumped on him, something he likes to avoid as much as possible. Plus, those responsibilities inevitably cut into his precious research time.<p>

It also means running into people he doesn't want to see. Like Homura and Koharu. The two old bats constantly harp on him to stick around more and contribute to the day-to-day workings of the village. Once they went so far to suggest he take over as head of the academic division, which includes running the Academy. He remembers sensei nearly herniated himself laughing when he heard that.

However, Jiraiya doesn't want to test if Minato is bluffing with his threats to shut down the onsens. So he decides to brave the Tower to see what the gaki wants. That doesn't mean he has to be obvious about it as he hides in the shadows, making his way to his former student's office.

As he approaches, he's not surprised to see Shimura Danzo emerge in all his pompous, stick up the ass, glory. Jiraiya inwardly groans as he watches the old coot slowly make his way up the hallway. His visit means Minato is going to be in a _fine_ mood and likely very irritable and cranky.

Not that Jiraiya can blame the gaki. As if they didn't have enough to deal with, he and sensei have their hands full dealing with Danzo blabbing the truth about the Kyuubi to the rest of the village. No one knows how Danzo found out, but he did and wasted no time in sharing.

Most villagers greatly respect Minato and trust his judgment. Some who remain leery of the Kyuubi being sealed in an infant wisely keep their mouths shut. They're smart enough to realize Minato saved their asses and isn't likely to kill his own daughter to guarantee the Kyuubi never escapes.

Then there are those who really are too stupid to live, much less be allowed to breed, in Jiraiya's opinion, who keep demanding Naruto's death. The poster child and standard bearer for these idiots is Uchiha Fugaku.

Fugaku keeps calling for Naruto's immediate execution. Although Jiraiya feels Minato was shortchanging himself going for the whole ball and chain in getting married and having a kid, even he knows the fastest way to the top of the kid's hit list is to threaten his family.

With sensei's help Minato immediately enacted laws leveling a gag order over the village. No one is allowed to discuss anything regarding how the Kyuubi was sealed beyond saying the demon was defeated. They also made it an act of treason for anyone to threaten or endanger Naruto in any way.

Jiraiya knows Minato really wants to gut Danzo. They all know he spilled the beans in retaliation for Minato refusing to turn Naruto over to him for training into a weapon. Minato can't punish Danzo under the new laws since they went into effect after he blabbed. However, it doesn't mean the gaki is forgetting what he has done anytime soon.

Sighing in resignation, Jiraiya shores up his courage and slips into the office.

He barely shuts the door when Minato asks, "Do you need a new watch, sensei? Because I don't recall it taking hours to get from anyplace in the village to here after receiving a summons."

The sannin cringes at the underlying bite in Minato's tone. Yep, the gaki is in a really _fine_ mood.

"C'mon, kid. You know me and old farts don't mix," Jiraiya reasons, approaching the document littered desk. "And this Tower is crawling with them. I know, I saw one just leave this office. They tend to cut into my research time."

Not looking up from the report he was reading, Minato adds, "And they cut into your travel time too as you should've been out of the village at least two hours ago."

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya asks, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"I'm talking about you hitting the road to find Tsunade and drag her back to Konoha. Tied up, kicking and screaming if you have to," Minato explains, finally setting down the report to look at Jiraiya.

Blinking in shock, it takes a moment for the words to sink in before Jiraiya shouts, "What the hell are you thinking sending me on a suicide mission?! I barely survived the last time sensei sent me to try bringing Tsunade back!"

"Which is why I think you'll succeed this time as you learned from your past mistakes, sensei," Minato grins. Becoming serious, he continues, "Kushina needs Tsunade's medical expertise to repair her chakra network. No one besides you, the Third and I know Kushina was the jinchuriki before Madara ripped the Kyuubi out of her and set it loose. Even if I tell the medics, having a demon ripped out of a patient is well outside their area of expertise. Tsunade is the only one skilled enough to treat her."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Jiraiya huffs, "Is Kushina that impatient to hit the field again?"

"Yes," Minato smirks. "But that's not the only reason. I need her back in top shape to help protect Naruto. Danzo has the balls to keep trying to convince me to let him take Naruto and start training her. You just saw him leave after his latest attempt."

Blue eyes turn flinty. "I wouldn't put it past the bastard to stop asking and try doing what he damn well pleases. Even with Hiruzen's help, I'm still too busy with recovery. Despite having guards on Kushina and the baby, all Danzo has to do is wait for the right opportunity."

"You're right," Jiraiya muses, rubbing his chin in thought. "It's not inconceivable for Danzo to make Naruto disappear within Konoha. She wouldn't resurface until she became an unrecognizable killing machine."

Minato growls, "That's why you're going to leave immediately and find Tsunade. It kills two birds with one stone. Kushina is happy to get back into top form quickly and I'm happy because she'll be better able to protect Naruto." A wicked grin spreads across his face, causing a shiver to run down Jiraiya's spine. "Otherwise, I'll have to keep you village bound as the baby's personal bodyguard. That means no time for research and plenty of time for diaper duty."

"You wouldn't," Jiraiya breathes in horror. Seeing the look in his student's eyes, he sighs resignedly, "You would. All right, I'll get Tsunade back here one way or another. Even if I have to lie and say you finally allowed old man Han to build a casino in the village."

"Knew I could count on you, sensei," Minato quips. "Have a safe trip."

Jiraiya scowls at his student before leaving.

* * *

><p>Nearly a month later Minato and Sarutobi are both working in the office when a toad appears with a scroll. Taking the scroll and dismissing the toad, Minato opens it to read and busts out laughing.<p>

Looking up, he notices Sarutobi watching him. "I just got a scroll from sensei. He found Tsunade."

"Oh this should be good," Sarutobi quips as he picks up a pipe from the ashtray on his desk. Because of the amount of work they jointly have to do, Minato had another desk brought into his office for the older Hokage.

"It is. He found Tsunade in record time. Within three weeks of sending him off on the search." The older man arches a brow, prompting Minato to reply, "Exactly. Guess he can find her awfully quick with the right motivation."

"Apparently," Sarutobi replies, refilling his pipe with tobacco and lighting it. "I'll have to remember to use some variation of the onsen threat or permanent guard duty for Naruto should the need arise again."

Minato grins as he continues. "In his note, sensei complains of getting the shit beat out of him. Not surprising since Tsunade is probably still pissed at him for trying to snap pictures of her in the onsen the last time he found her." Glancing down to read the scroll, he adds, "He says he had to play dirty and asked Tsunade if she'd abandon her own family to suffer at the hands of incompetent medics."

Sarutobi blinks in surprise. "Does Jiraiya know that Tsunade's grandmother, Mito-sama, is a cousin of Kushina's?"

Minato nods. "Kushina told sensei about it during one of their long conversations. He wasn't too surprised and told me later, in private, it makes sense those two psychotic, violent kunoichi are related."

"Of course, he says that privately," Sarutobi chuckles around his pipe.

"Of course. And, of course, Tsunade proceeded to give him another good beating. She then went and got plastered with a couple bottles of cheap sake." Minato holds up a finger to emphasize the elder Hokage needed to pay closer attention to the next part. "What neither counted on was Shizune getting into the act. She apparently was lingering nearby when Jiraiya played the 'cousins' card with Tsunade. So once Shizune dragged Tsunade back to the inn they were staying at she tore into her. Apparently, Shizune takes family ties very seriously."

Sarutobi chuckles knowingly. "That she does since her uncle was engaged to Tsunade before he died. And I recall she wasn't that much younger than her aunt, Dan's younger sister, who died during the second war. I understand the aunt was her babysitter."

"I think you're right and Shizune verbally beat Tsunade into submission. Tsunade griped to sensei the impossible must've happened and her mother got reincarnated into her teenage apprentice."

"Indeed, since Tsunade's mother didn't die until after Shizune was born," Sarutobi chuckles again. "Does this mean she is coming?"

"Yes," Minato nods again and holds up the scroll. "According to this, they're already on their way and should be back in Konoha within a few days."

"Amazing," Sarutobi breathes, while shaking his head. "I never thought I'd live to see Tsunade back in Konoha or that it'd be Shizune who convinced her."

"Agreed. I don't care as long as she's on her way."

Sarutobi nods as he takes another drag on his pipe before they get back to work.

* * *

><p>It was another week for a surly Tsunade to show up in Minato's office with Shizune and a still battered Jiraiya.<p>

"Nice to see you and Shizune back in Konoha, Tsunade," Sarutobi greets them pleasantly.

"Hi, sensei," Tsunade replies dourly, causing Shizune to scowl at her rude tone.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. It's nice to be back," Shizune politely greets the aged man.

"She feels so good to be back, Hiruzen, she's practically bursting at the seams with excitement," Minato quips, causing Tsunade to glare at the younger blond and Jiraiya to wince in dismay. His former student is just asking for trouble.

"I don't plan on staying long, gaki," Tsunade snaps. "I came to see what I could do for Kushina and that's it."

Minato eyes the sannin before replying. "No. That's obvious, so I guess I should fill you in so you can do what you need to and get back on the road far away from this mess so it doesn't inconvenience you further."

He ignores Tsunade's glare to walk over to his desk. Grabbing a folder he walks back and hands it to her. Opening it, she realizes it's Kushina's medical file.

Releasing a long whistle as she scans the report, Tsunade mutters, "Kushina's entire chakra network is trashed." Looking up she asks, "How the hell did that happen?"

Minato flashes through a couple signs for the office privacy seals before speaking. "What I'm about to tell you is highly classified and is part of the reason the medics here can't treat Kushina." When Tsunade nods in understanding he continues. "For years Kushina was the jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Yoko."

"Wait a minute," Tsunade interrupts. "I thought the demon died with my grandmother."

Minato frowns in confusion. "Didn't sensei tell you that it was the Kyuubi that attacked Konoha?"

Tsunade glares at him, but is cut off from retorting when Shizune quietly states, "Tsunade-shisou refused to listen to any of the details of the attack."

"Demons made of chakra cannot be killed, Tsunade," Sarutobi explains from his seat behind his desk before anyone else can comment. "The Kyuubi would've revived and been free without a host. Before Mito-sama passed, Kushina was selected to be the next jinchuriki. Her being a member of the Uzumaki clan like Mito-sama and her special chakra made her the perfect successor."

Minato continues explaining to a stunned Tsunade and Shizune. "However, the seal containing the demon weakened during Kushina's pregnancy. It would be at its weakest during childbirth. As a precaution we arranged it so she could give birth outside of Konoha. What we hadn't counted on was Uchiha Madara being alive and well and fully eager to get his hands on the Kyuubi no matter who he had to kill."

"No way," Tsunade breathes. "You've got to be shitting me, gaki. How in the hell does," she breaks off, sputtering for the words. "H-he fought my grandfather, for crying out loud! He's got to be dead!"

"He was looking pretty lively for a dead guy," Minato quips before becoming serious again. "To try shortening a very long story, he ripped the Kyuubi out of Kushina after she gave birth and set it loose on Konoha. That's why her chakra network and Konoha is in shambles."

"That certainly explains how her chakra network ended up like that," Tsunade muses. "That is _not_ the result of overuse during battle."

"Excuse me, Minato-sama," Shizune interrupts hesitantly.

"Yes, Shizune?"

"If chakra demons can't be killed, was the Kyuubi resealed back into Kushina-san?"

"No," Minato sighs heavily. "I had to seal the demon into our daughter, Naruto. Kushina was in no condition to take back the Kyuubi. At the time we were both sure she was dying. That would've meant the Kyuubi would revive to run loose later."

"Yet now you've made Naruto a target for Madara later," Tsunade comments, eyeing Minato shrewdly.

"If Madara were still around to target her," Minato mutters darkly before explaining to the two stunned women exactly what happened and how they all survived.

"Holy shit," Tsunade mutters when he finishes. "You sure lucked out big to survive that."

"We all did," Minato sighs again, rubbing a hand across his forehead. "Since I can't tell the medics the truth, they can't really devise a good treatment without knowing the cause. Additionally, Kushina's condition isn't life threatening and not a priority for them right now. However, her anxiousness to return to the field aside, I need her back in top form to help protect Naruto."

Tsunade arches a brow as Minato explains the events since the Kyuubi attack.

"Damn, you really landed into a mess, didn't you, gaki?" Tsunade grumbles when he finishes.

Minato merely shrugs as she sighs and switches to doctor mode.

"As nice as it's been chatting, where's my patient? I need to examine her and the bratling you two spawned before heading into the hospital to whip it back into shape. I'm sure Bunko-san has been doing a good job running things, but she has a tendency to be too light handed with the medics."

Shizune and Jiraiya roll their eyes as Minato and Sarutobi grin at Tsunade.

"We temporarily moved into the Hokage mansion," Minato explains. "Unless she's wandering around the Tower with Naruto, you'll find her there."

"Jiraiya will settle our things in an inn while Shizune and I examine Kushina," Tsunade declares.

"Hey! I'm not your personal valet! My mission was to get your ass back here. Mission accomplished!" Jiraiya vehemently protests.

He recoils when Tsunade turns and levels a particularly venomous glare at him.

"Fine," he huffs, crossing his arms.

Minato and Sarutobi merely chuckle at the sannin's plight, while Tsunade smiles smugly at him.

* * *

><p>With Shizune in tow, Tsunade knocks on the front door to the Hokage's personal suite and waits somewhat patiently for someone to answer. Within moments a pleasantly surprised redhead answers the door.<p>

"Tsunade! Shizune!" Kushina cries before grabbing each in a hug.

"Good to see you, gaki," Tsunade replies in genuine warmth as she returns the hug.

Taking her turn, Shizune adds, "You're looking really well despite everything, Kushina-sama."

Rolling her eyes, Kushina replies, "Knock it off with the 'sama' or any kind of honorific, Shizune. You know I'm not into all that decorum crap."

"Sorry, Kushina-sa…" Shizune breaks off at Kushina's glare and corrects herself. "Kushina," she finishes with a blush.

"Better," the redhead nods definitively, causing Tsunade to chuckle.

"Still the same brassy, ballsy brat as always, Kushina," she quips.

"Don't ya know it," Kushina grins before waving them inside. "Well, get your asses in here so we can catch up before you fix me."

"You know it's not going to be as simple as placing a bandage on a boo boo," Tsunade comments as she and Shizune follow the redhead into the sitting room.

"I know," Kushina replies seriously. "If it were that simple, Min wouldn't have badgered you to come back. Sorry he had to do that, but with that bastard Danzo constantly sniffing around Naruto, I have to get back in shape."

"Danzo is nothing but patient and stubborn. What makes him a threat is his own selfish agenda," Tsunade replies before changing the subject. "Let's not talk about that old crank because I want to see this new bratling you and Minato spawned."

Kushina laughs before calling out, "Hey, Kakashi! Can you please bring Naruto so the old bat and Shizune can see her?"

The older blonde glares and twitches at being called an old bat. Shizune tries to appear more interested in the décor than in laughing while Kushina grins at Tsunade.

Within moments Tsunade's ire is forgotten as an irritable Kakashi appears with a squirmy Naruto.

"What's that look for?" Tsunade demands.

"It's Kakashi's 'I just finished changing the baby's full diaper' look," Kushina explains with a snigger, earning her a glare from the teenage jounin.

He walks over to Tsunade and unceremoniously passes off the baby before starting to head out the room.

"Kakashi?" Kushina stops him in his tracks. "Would you please make us some tea?" she asks innocently.

"You and sensei are cruel," he mutters before stalking out.

Baffled, Shizune asks, "Why is Kakashi-kun so surly?"

"Minato's been punishing him for sneaking around his back and getting Hiruzen to let him test for ANBU," Kushina smirks. "Getting constantly saddled with guard duty for us is keeping him from going on missions. Plus, I make him stay out of his ANBU uniform so he won't scare the baby."

Looking up from her cooing at Naruto, Tsunade eyes Kushina shrewdly. "I seriously doubt any kid of yours would be scared by an ANBU uniform."

"You're right. Naruto isn't scared by his mask and laughs every time she sees him in it," the redhead admits, her grin widening. "I only do it to annoy him for Minato. Plus, he looks so cute taking care of her."

Tsunade laughs as Shizune blushes. The brunette teen silently agrees that Kakashi did look cute when he brought in Naruto.

Focusing back on the baby, Tsunade coos, "Well, hello, beautiful! Are you all set to unleash unholy terror on Konoha while looking impossibly cute and adorable?"

Tsunade is rewarded by a toothless smile. The light glinting off her necklace draws Naruto's attention as small hands reach out for the pale blue stone.

"You certainly have expensive tastes, kiddo," she smiles, lifting Naruto to let her grab onto the stone. Looking up from the baby gently tugging on her necklace, Tsunade comments, "Minato said Naruto failed to thrive the first couple of months and almost didn't make it."

"By nature, just sealing a demon into a person is a traumatic event," Kushina sighs heavily as she watches Naruto tugging determinately on the blue stone. "I remember being absolutely terrified when the Kyuubi was sealed in me. I was still a kid. But I can't imagine how it must be for an infant so new to the world."

Leaning back into the recliner, while resting an ankle on her knee and draping an arm across the back, Kushina continues. "Naruto was so traumatized we couldn't get her to nurse. To keep her from starving the medics decided to insert a feeding tube. That wasn't so bad, but it was _where_ they wanted to insert the tube that was the problem."

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asks, scowling over at Shizune who was insistently nudging her elbow before gesturing at Naruto. Rolling her eyes, she grudgingly passes the baby over.

"They wanted to perform surgery insert the tube through Naruto's stomach. That's where the fox is sealed and it could've damaged the seal," Kushina explains. "Minato got into a heated discussion with them and refused to explain the purpose of the seal on her stomach. He was afraid the surgery could damage the seal. But the medics didn't want to insert the tube orally or nasally, saying that could cause other complications. In the end they went with a nasal feeding tube."

Tsunade nods knowingly. "Inserting the tube abdominally does result in the least complications and minimizes the scarring. However, most infants don't have a demon sealed in their abdomen."

"And we sure as hell weren't going to clue the medics in on that detail either," Kushina smirks. "Anyway, while the tube saved Naruto from starving, there were problems when the medics took the tube out. She ended up with what they called a disorganized sucking pattern and a swallowing disorder."

"I'm not surprised," Tsunade muses. "Nasal feeding tubes interferes with the infant's sucking pattern. Naruto would've had trouble suckling correctly to get enough beneficial nutrition. She also would have trouble coordinating between the pauses she needed to breathe. That's how she would've developed the swallowing disorder. She had difficulty coordinating her tongue and lips to move the food to the back of her throat in order to swallow it."

Kushina nods. "Throw in her inability to coordinate her breathing while eating and she inhaled some of her formula. Right after eating she'd literally be exhaling formula through her nose."

Smiling fondly over at Shizune making goofy faces at Naruto, Kushina continues. "Luckily, all those problems went away and she caught up to where she's supposed to be developmentally."

"Naruto seems to be up to par developmentally despite all that," Tsunade agrees, joining Kushina in watching Shizune and the baby. "You're lucky the lingering trauma from the sealing didn't affect her more than it did or hinder her from recovering from the side effects of the feeding tube."

"Yeah," Kushina agrees fondly before scowling. "Which meant that once that bastard Danzo caught wind of her doing better, he started his campaign to oversee her training."

Arching a skeptical brow, Tsunade goads, "Don't give me that bullshit. That's not the only reason you need me to try fixing you up. I read your medical file and saw the strict orders of bed rest. I know damn well you're not following those orders. You're chomping at the bit to get back into training."

Kushina's gaze hardens. "You saw all the damage to the village and we lost a lot of shinobi to the Kyuubi," she growls. "Like hell I can sit back and take it easy. Recovery costs money and reduced forces make us prone to attack. Protecting Naruto from Danzo means nothing if I can't help protect her from outside enemies."

Crossing her arms, Tsunade sighs heavily. "And knowing you, even if I didn't fix you up, you'd stubbornly try getting back into shape anyway and probably kill yourself in the process." Ignoring the redhead's glare, she continues, "Enough chit chatting. Let's go into your bedroom so you can lie down and I can examine you." Turning to Shizune she orders, "Bring the baby so I can examine her too."

The three women rise to their feet as Kakashi reenters the room bearing a tea tray.

"We've got to go into the bedroom so Tsunade can examine me, Kakashi," Kushina explains at his baffled look. "Would you please keep the tea hot until we're done?"

Kushina grins at the teens glare. Turning to leave the room, she hears him mutter, "You and sensei are cruel."

"You are mean," Tsunade quips when he disappears from sight.

"I know," Kushina grins before leading them into the bedroom.

Nearly an hour later the three ladies return to the sitting room. Naruto had fallen asleep on them, so Kushina had Kakashi settle her into her crib. Then he brings out their tea again. Deciding to cut him a little slack, she allows him to go into Naruto's room and read his Icha Icha as part of his "guard duty" with the promise not to tell Minato.

Once they're all settled, Tsunade speaks first. "Not that you didn't know it already, but your bratling is in good shape. She's where she's supposed to be developmentally and it doesn't look like she'll be suffering any long-term effects from the sealing. Now for your problem, brat, I'm pretty sure I can repair your network. It's bad, but there's a good chance I can make it better."

The blonde cuts Kushina off when she smiles and opens her mouth to comment.

"But it's not something that is easy to fix and I'm not sure how long it's going to take for you to get back into shape. It's going to take more than one treatment. Your chakra network is as intricate as your circulatory system. It's going to take time to go through every line and branch all the way to your pressure points."

Giving the solemn redhead a moment to absorb her words, she settles back more comfortably into the sofa and sips her tea.

"Even once we're done, it's still going to take time to recondition them into handling the amount of chakra you're capable of pushing through them," the blonde continues explaining. "Too much and you'll just blow your network again. Or part of it, which could be irreparable. Our networks aren't designed to take that much abuse. That would be particularly bad if that occurs during battle. You could become vulnerable to an enemy attack and get killed."

Tsunade pauses to sip her tea. "What Shizune and I will do will speed things up for you, but it won't be a quick fix. You're still going to be out of commission for a year, at least, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, it would've taken you years to recover and you would've likely had to retire as a shinobi."

The silence stretches out as Tsunade and Shizune continue sipping their tea. Neither fails to notice that Kushina hasn't touched hers since they sat back down in the sitting room.

When she finally speaks, Kushina's voice is low. "Nothing is worse than knowing you can normally take on an entire squad of enemy shinobi and being totally incapable of doing it. Not even to protect your baby." Raising her determined gaze to meet Tsunade's eyes, she continues. "I know it'll take time, but I'll push as much as I can get away with. I don't want to die and leave Naruto to grow up without her momma." A smirk spreads across her face. "I want to be there when she beats up her first little boy."

Shizune merely rolls her eyes as Tsunade returns her smirk.

"I just can't risk the time to recover normally. We've got to do this," Kushina finishes seriously.

"All right, gaki," Tsunade replies. " As long as you understand you can only push yourself so much." After Kushina nods in understanding, she continues. "Give Shizune and I a chance to get back into the swing of things around here and terrorize the hospital staff, then we'll get your procedure scheduled."

Kushina grins, elated at the prospect of getting back into shape sooner than expected.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Tsunade to completely browbeat the entire hospital back into submission. She's impressed at how the efficiently its been running since she left, but that doesn't mean things are up to <em>her<em> strict standards.

She assigns Shizune to intensively research the chakra network and Kushina's medical history. Tsunade even has her read through her grandmother's medical files for anything that might help.

Within a month they begin Kushina's treatment. The three sessions are long and grueling, leaving Kushina exhausted and bedridden for at least a week each time. Originally Tsunade and Kushina heatedly argued over how close the treatments should be. Naturally, the redhead wanted them one right after the other. The older blonde wanted to space them out longer. The two women eventually compromise on one session a month. Still too close together for Tsunade's liking, but reasonable enough for her to allow it.

When the last session is finished, Tsunade stops by the mansion one more time and examines Kushina. After the exam, both women settle into the sitting room to enjoy some tea.

"Well, gaki, looks like all went well with the treatments," Tsunade states, prompting Kushina to grin. Scowling, she sternly adds, "Don't take that as a free pass to do whatever the hell you want. I'm not joking on pushing yourself too hard. You want to get back into top form faster? Then listen to what I'm saying."

"All right, all right, I won't over do it," Kushina replies sounding harassed. She grins at Tsunade's deepening frown. "Really. Don't worry," she reassures. "I'm going to push myself and you know why I have to. But I'll rein it in, promise."

Tsunade sighs wearily, muttering, "Uzumaki's aren't known for their restraint."

"Damn straight," Kushina quips, ignoring the blonde's glare as she sips her tea.

"You're just lucky that you've got a far better healing ability than most people, but even you have limits." Her glare bores into Kushina's eyes. "I read your medical history and it's obvious the Kyuubi helped your healing along when it was sealed in you. It's not sealed in you anymore. Don't train like you still have that ace up your sleeve."

"I won't," Kushina seriously promises. "And thank you. I know it wasn't easy for you to come back, but Minato and I am really glad you did."

"Don't worry about it," Tsunade waves off airily. "He probably wouldn't have pushed for me to come back if he hasn't been so busy. Otherwise, I'm sure he would've been glued to your side."

Kushina sighs heavily. "It bothers Minato not to have the time to take care of me and Naruto or be around more to protect her."

"It's not like you didn't have help. You still have Kakashi around to abuse as your de facto babysitter."

"With shameless glee," Kushina laughs. Becoming serious, she adds, "But it's not about punishing him anymore for joining ANBU. He's been great about it because I really had to rely heavily on him these past few months. So much that he moved in with us."

"Doesn't hurt that because he's ANBU now, he can effectively protect Naruto from Danzo and the other bastards demanding her blood," Tsunade points out.

"Nope it doesn't," Kushina nods as Kakashi enters the room carrying Naruto.

"And speak of the devil and he shall appear," Tsunade quips, holding out her arms for the baby.

"Aren't you supposed to be passed out drunk in a gambling house somewhere, you old hag?" Kakashi mutters as he eases Naruto into her arms.

"Just leave the baby and go away, brat," Tsunade growls before looking down at a still sleepy eyed Naruto and smiling.

"Naruto just woke up?" Kushina asks as a distraction.

Throwing another glare at Tsunade, the silver haired teen answers, "Yeah. She'll probably want to eat when she fully wakes up. Do you want me to prep a bottle or are you going to breast feed her?"

"Bottle, please."

With a nod, Kakashi leaves the room.

Kushina looks over at Tsunade when she hears the older woman chuckling. "Who would've thought a Hatake would make such a good nanny?"

Shushing her through her giggles, Kushina admonishes, "Don't let him hear you say that! I finally got him doing things without muttering sarcastically under his breath."

Tsunade grins before looking down at Naruto. "Well, beautiful, I've got to get going. I better start hearing rumors soon about a redheaded midget terrorizing Konoha. You've got your mother's reputation to uphold."

Naruto merely yawns, causing Tsunade to laugh. Rising to her feet with Kushina, she hands over the baby before heading to the door. Kushina walks her out.

Turning back, Tsunade tells Kushina, "I don't know if I'll be back, much less when, but it better not be because you ignored my orders. _Don't_ overdo it."

"You better come back. I'm not much into letter writing," Kushina smiles fondly before giving Tsunade a one-armed hug.

Offering a grim smile, Tsunade doesn't answer and steps out the door.

Minutes later she barges into Minato's office. The younger blonde is alone and looks up from the document he's reading to grin.

"Tsunade! Long time no see!" he greets cheerfully.

"You're such a smartass," she grouses as she stops before his desk and crosses her arms across her chest.

"Considering who my sensei is, that's a declaration of the obvious, don't you think?" he asks, setting the document down.

Ignoring the question, she glances over at the other empty desk. "Where's sensei? I thought he'd be in here slaving away with you."

"Accepting an invite to the Uchiha district to listen to Fugaku rail at him for not convincing me to order the execution of my own daughter," Minato replies airily.

Tsunade shivers inwardly at the murderous glint in those deep blue eyes.

"Well, I can't hang around much longer until he gets back. Shizune and I have to hit the road. Kushina is all patched up and now it's up to her to follow my orders." Pausing to roll her eyes, she grouses, "Not that she won't do everything possible to distort and mutilate those orders to get away with doing what she damn well pleases."

"Kushina always claimed she was allergic to doctors," Minato smiles fondly. "But I'll do what I can to keep her from going overboard."

"Kinda hard to do when you're eyeballs deep in recovery work, brat," she points out.

"No kidding. At least we're making progress. A few months ago it didn't look like we'd ever recover from Madara's schemes," he sighs wearily.

"The hospital is in good shape. Shizune and I lent a hand where we could."

Remaining silent, Minato muses that '_where we could_' meant avoiding treating bloody injuries for Tsunade.

Instead of raising her hackles, he says, "Thanks for treating Kushina and helping out at the hospital, Tsunade. I really don't want to let you go since our ranks were thinned by the attack, but I understand why you have to go. Sarutobi filled me in on the details."

Tsunade's surprised gaze snaps to his.

He nods in understanding. "You have my permission to leave, but I've got one condition." At her arched brow he adds, "You've got to keep in better contact and update me on your whereabouts. It shouldn't be so difficult to find you if we really need you. It's the least you can do in return for the freedom to wander unhindered."

The older blonde considers it before accepting. "All right. I'll have Shizune send regular updates on us. She's better about that than I am."

"Fair enough," Minato smiles as he watches her turn and walk out the door without another word.

* * *

><p><strong><em><strong>Baoding Balls<strong>_- **Chinese meditation balls. You use them to improve dexterity in your hands and most have a subtle chime when you rotate them to induce relaxation.

**A/N**: _And so my writing muse has returned with a vengeance! Not a bad thing, but it's unusual for me to have so many updates ready so close together. Helped that I had chapters for three of my stories already started._

_I'm really pleased at the response I've gotten for this story! Not that I'm ashamed of my other work so far, but I think I've been able to utilize everything I've learned so far, all the worthwhile suggestions my readers have given me, into my best work so far._

_So thank you to all my readers who are enjoying this story so far and who've given some very helpful advice._


	3. Chapter 3

The world is melting.

The thought defies all logic, reason and scientific fact, yet Minato is certain it's true. It has to be.

How else can the visible rays of heat radiating off the ground be explained? How is it possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk below the Tower? He saw this one himself because a couple of his shinobi tried it. Or the fact it feels like the soles of his ninja sandals seem to have more traction than normal and the consistency of gooey, gum? Why else would he be expecting an urgent report that the earth has suddenly turned to molten lava and Konoha is going up in flames?

How else can anyone explain why he's entertaining such ridiculous notions? The world is melting or his brain wouldn't be suffering from heatstroke in order to dream up such nonsense.

Shifting his gaze from outside, he retreats from the windows to settle back behind his desk within the comparable coolness of his office. Reaching for his profusely sweating glass of lemonade he lifts it to take a nice, long draught, completely ignoring the fact it's mostly water now due to the melting ice.

Setting the glass back onto a coaster and picking up the document he discarded in favor of gazing out the window, Minato supposes he doesn't have room to complain. Normally, because of the sweltering summer heat, ninja spend nearly the entirety of July indoors. It's not that it isn't hot all summer it's just that July seems to focus it all into a searing pinpoint.

There's typically a natural decline in commissioned missions during the hottest summer months. There may be a few escort missions, but most nobility and upper class citizens are already whiling away the heat at their favored holiday destinations.

Unfortunately, thanks to the damage caused Madara's attack, there's a dire need for funds in order to offset the soaring cost of rebuilding and ongoing medical care for those still recovering from their injuries.

Instead of simply allowing their ninja to ride out the heat and the inevitable work slowdown, Minato and Hiruzen spend much time soliciting work to send them out on to earn money for the village.

The scratching of Minato's pen breaks the silence of the otherwise empty office. The temptation is strong to simply lean back in his chair and fan himself with the documents he's reviewing and signing. However, the sooner he finishes the sooner he can call it a day.

His actions are automatic and mechanical, so his thoughts easily drift back onto the village.

Recovery efforts throughout the village continued slowly, but steadily, for months. Real progress is seen as long cleared debris is gradually being replaced by new structures. Konoha is finally looking less like a war zone and more like their home again.

It is also important to present a strong face to the world and not just bring in needed monies. Word of a major catastrophe befalling Konoha spread throughout the Land of Fire into the surrounding nations, including the other ninja villages. Because of that, they need to show they are already bouncing back and not a target ripe for attack.

The two Hokage take turns schmoozing and charming past clients as well as new faces from within the Land of Fire and surrounding nations. They take everything including escorts, guard details and fugitive hunting. Hiruzen even successfully convinced the Wind daimyo to hire Konoha to help build an irrigation canal system for a farming community on his eastern border. He soothed the anger of Kazekage of Suna by pointing out it frees his ninja to focus on more important missions as opposed to manual labor that does nothing to enhance their existing, formidable skills.

It didn't hurt that Konoha also paid Suna compensation from part of the fee from their contract with the Wind daimyo.

When not occupied with generating income, the two men finally manage to shift some of their attention into investigating the Uchiha clan involvement in the Kyuubi attack.

They quietly assign trustworthy shinobi to investigate everything possible about the clan. A couple of nins started a paper chase chronologically documenting every council action voted on or instigated by Uchiha Fugaku. Another pair began reviewing every complaint or sanction levied against any member of the Uchiha clan.

Setting down his pen, the blond briefly pauses in his work to arch his back, stretching with a heartfelt, weary sigh. Relaxing, he glares at the offending stack sitting innocently on the corner of his desk, wishing he could simply ignite it with his eyes. Taking another sip of his watery lemonade he supposes it could be worse. It could be him, and not Hiruzen, stuck in the latest council meeting to discuss the progress of the village.

Refusing to get distracted, Minato reluctantly picks up his pen and continues working.

He remembers wanting to assign a ninja to infiltrate the clan, but was forced to wait. Hiruzen pointed out they didn't have anyone trustworthy enough or highly skilled enough to successfully infiltrate the Uchiha clan. Their intense xenophobia guarantees failure and would likely incite them to act against Konoha again.

It's not that Minato doesn't appreciate Hiruzen's intelligence and sound logic, but there are times when he absolutely hates when the old know-it-all is right.

Minato knows it'll take time and will be very difficult to uncover any proof against the clan. They've had generations of practice perfecting being secretive and wary. Sooner or later the opportunity will present itself. He's patient enough to wait for it.

Sighing into the stillness, he tears his thoughts from the Uchiha to idly wonder where his wife is at that moment.

As Tsunade predicted, Kushina started training to get back into shape much sooner than recommended, within days of the sannin leaving. Minato does give her credit for trying to keep from going overboard. In fact, whe only focused on getting back into physical shape, something she was capable of doing without injury.

For about two weeks.

He sincerely hopes that she isn't straining herself if she's training at the moment. If not, he hopes that some form of divine intervention will help Kakashi finally convince Kushina to take it easy for once and instead of going off to train for a couple of hours.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Kakashi! You need some sun! You're starting to look so pale people will think you've died and returned as a ghost!" Kushina laughs as they arrive at the outer edge of the forests near the Nara clan lands.<p>

Holding Naruto, Kakashi arches a brow and sardonically replies, "Maybe if you and Sensei hadn't saddled me with the nanny detail for the past nine months that wouldn't be an issue, would it?"

Ignoring the conversation, Naruto wiggles and stretches in his arms, trying to look at everything around them in wonder.

"It keeps you versatile," she quips, setting down her pack against a tree. Walking out into the middle of a small clearing she begins stretching and warming up her muscles.

Kakashi rolls his eyes before glancing down at Naruto when her movement still. Seeing she's fixated on something on a nearby tree he follows her gaze and smiles at the butterfly resting on the tree trunk.

"Want to see the butterfly, Naruto?"

Not expecting an answer, he carries her over for a closer look. He watches in amusement as she stares transfixed on the Rice Paper butterfly gently opening and closing it's beautiful black and white wings.

"Like the pretty butterfly, Naruto?" he enunciates carefully for her.

In response she begins babbling at the butterfly. His smile widens when he hears her mangled attempt to say, "butterfly."

While Naruto continues watching the insect and babbling at it, Kakashi asks, "Is it okay for us to go on a training run with Naruto?"

Kushina answers while folding her body in half to touch her forehead to her knees. "We're not running a course through the Forest of Death or over a rocky terrain or anything too rugged. Besides, this kills two birds with one stone. I can have Naruto with me while extending my training and conditioning time."

Shifting to spread her legs wide, Kushina continues stretching by touching her forehead to one knee at a time. "She also gets to see the great big world instead of being cooped up in the tower all the time. We really haven't taken her out much these past few months because of everything going on."

Shifting her body again to a splits position, she arches her back and reaches back over to grab her ankle, touching the top of her head to her knee. "And I'm not comfortable with Naruto being too much in one place either. Not with all the vipers out for her blood." Releasing her ankle, she bends forward over the leg extended out in front of her. "And we both know a stationary target is an easy target. Even in the Tower."

"True," Kakashi agrees as Kushina bends both legs together at the knees in front of her and holds her hands out for Naruto.

Stepping over, he hands the baby over and starts stretching and warming up. Kushina positions Naruto body to lean against her shins facing her in a standing position. Gently rolling onto her back, Kushina lifts her legs, much to Naruto's delight, tilting her forward as she slightly extends them before bending her knees again. Kushina smiles and laughs with Naruto who loves being nearly turned upside down.

Minutes later Kakashi is finished and helps securely strap Naruto to Kushina's back in a baby sling.

"Ready?" Kushina asks him. At the teen's nod she takes off in an easy jog, gradually increasing speed into a steady run.

Weaving between the trees, Kushina leads them on a scenic course, passing through rocky clearings or by small waterfalls. She smiles hearing Naruto's eager babbling behind her.

Keeping pace behind the redhead, Kakashi still wonders if taking a nine month old out like this is a good idea. However, his concerns are squashed when it's evident Naruto loves being out with them, especially if Kushina throws in the occasional summersault over a large root or rock.

An hour later they take a break by one of the countless waterfall streams dotting the forest. The Nara deer give the trio a cursory glance before resuming drinking out of the stream or grazing nearby in a small meadow.

Kushina breast feeds Naruto, giving Kakashi a chance to eat his lunch. When he's finished, Kushina hands Naruto over to him. Rising to his feet, he carries the enthralled baby closer to look at the deer while giving Kushina the chance to eat her food.

She watches with pride and amusement as Kakashi quietly talks to Naruto, continuing to carefully enunciate his words while telling her about the deer. She wishes Sakumo was alive to watch his son finally emerge from his emotionless shell, albeit practically fighting it tooth and nail, to become a loving big brother.

A couple of the younger deer step closer to study Naruto in Kakashi's arms. He remains still as Naruto gushes and babbles while pointing at the deer. One of the braver bucks extends its muzzle out to sniff near her hand, causing the baby to laugh. Once their curiosity is satisfied, they step away to resume their grazing.

After Kushina finishes eating, they leave the forest and head over to one of the main training grounds. Kakashi settles with a drowsy Naruto under the shade of a tree as Kushina starts doing chakra exercises to strengthen her network. He acts as her safety spotter while she runs through simple academy level exercises.

As Kushina progresses through her routine, she's unaware of Minato watching them with the crystal ball he inherited from Sarutobi when he took office.

He found it too difficult to continue focusing on work once Kushina crossed his mind. Naturally, he's been concerned about her resuming her training so soon, but has refrained from commenting to her much about it. It clearly makes her happy and gives him peace of mind seeing she's not overdoing it.

It's also amusing to see his student holding a slumbering Naruto cuddled on his shoulder as he observes Kushina's training. Minato wishes he could take a picture to use as blackmail against his former student. All of Kakashi's rabid fan girls would go wild seeing him with an adorable baby sleeping in his arms.

"Well, that was fun," Kushina declares walking over to Kakashi after finishing the exercises.

Rolling his eye he rises to his feet, being careful not to jostle Naruto awake.

"I think it was more fun for Naruto," he points out, gently passing the baby over to her. Without opening her eyes, Naruto squirms and grunts a little in annoyance before drifting deeper back into sleep against Kushina's shoulder.

"Probably," Kushina chuckles as she reaches up to lightly stroke her slumbering daughter's head. "I've done enough training today, so why don't we head back to the tower? I can put in some desk duty with Minato and the Old Man."

Kakashi nods in agreement. Picking up his pack he follows her out of the training ground.

Minato smiles in relief as he slips the crystal ball back into a drawer. Picking up his pen, he resumes his work, grateful that Kushina really isn't over doing it.

* * *

><p>Days later Minato has begun wondering if time is perpetually frozen in summer and they're all doomed to roast to death as it continues being exceptionally hot outside.<p>

On the plus side, the heat forces Kushina into cutting her training short for the day. Glancing over at his wife who's sitting at Hiruzen's desk scowling through a report, he appreciates her help with the never ending paperwork. Still stuck putting in long days, Minato gladly snatches every chance he gets to spend time with his wife even if it is spent tediously toiling over documents.

"No wonder that cagey, old bastard seemed overly eager to take his turn walking around the village checking on the reconstruction. This is incredibly boring shit!" Kushina growls irritably while running a hand through her bangs.

Minato can't resist chuckling, adding, "And you know he's going to take longer than usual since he's got Naruto with him. He's going to make sure to stop and talk to a lot of people or stop to show her every little wonder."

"He's a smart old bastard," she smirks back, setting the document she's reading down to raise her arms and stretch her back. "It also gives Kakashi the rare chance to act like an actual ANBU for a change since he gets to shadow them in uniform."

"He's lucky you were in a good enough mood to give him that chance. I wouldn't have been that nice," Minato mutters while signing off on the latest document.

Rising from her seat she saunters over to start massaging his shoulders. He can hear the smirk in her voice as she adds, "It's just for today, blondie. I know he's still not back in your good graces for sneaking into ANBU."

Closing his eyes, Minato sighs while enjoying her hands deftly kneading his stiff muscles. "It's going to be awhile before that happens. He's too young to be doing ANBU. He almost literally went from being a toddler to an adult. That's why I had said 'no' to him enlisting. He doesn't need to get mired further into the blood and darkness."

"It's hard to get buried in the darkness when you're stuck with diaper duty and locating misplaced, in-demand, plushie frogs," Kushina chuckles while working out a particularly tough knot between his shoulders.

Minato grins, "I still need to catch him off guard in a cute baby moment with Naruto so I can use it as future blackmail against him."

Leaning in, his wife whispers seductively in his ear, "Don't worry, blondie, I've already got a really good one for you to use." When he turns his head to look at her questioningly, she adds, "I got it during one of our many training runs through the Nara forest. It's a picture of him crouched down low with Naruto in his arms as a doe and fawn sniff at her. It's definitely too cute for words."

"You know," he smirks, turning forward so Kushina can continue her massage, "I don't even think I'm going to bother with the fangirls. I'll save that for his ANBU teammates."

Kushina busts out laughing. Calming down somewhat she adds, "And people think I'm the sadistic one in this relationship."

Reaching around, Minato reaches up to tangle a hand in her hair, pulling her close while he angles himself to soundly kiss her. Pulling back, he touches his forehead to her, gazing deeply into her eyes before saying, "Not by a long shot."

A knock at the door causes him to sigh heavily. Both straighten up as he calls out, "Come in."

Raido pokes his head in. Minato notes the burn on his face is healing nicely since he got injured during the Kyuubi attack.

"Sorry to bother you, boss," Raido states, stepping fully inside the office when it's clear he's not interrupting something. He's certainly interrupted Minato and Kushina enough times to warrant such caution. "There's a delegation here from Whirlpool that wants to see you."

Minato gapes in shock, giving Kushina the chance to snarl, "Who is it and what the fuck do they want?"

"The leader's name is Uzumaki Hiroto and he's got three other Whirlpool nins with him. He refuses to say anything more other than they're a diplomatic envoy and would like to meet with the Hokage," Raido explains.

"Tell that son of a bitch cousin of mine…" Kushina begins before Minato cuts her off by taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Let's see what they want first so we can try figuring out what they've got up their sleeves and stop them ahead of time," he calmly suggests.

Glowering, she considers his words before nodding.

Minato turns back to Raido. "Show them in, but stay alert."

Raido nods before stepping back out again.

Moments later four men bearing Whirlpool hitai-ate file into the room and line up before Minato. The leader, a tall, wiry man with his light red hair tied back into a long ponytail steps forward and bows, opening his mouth to greet Minato when he straightens up.

"What the fuck do you want, Hiroto?" Kushina demands, cutting him off.

Amusement lights up his pale, blue eyes as he replies, "Nice to see you too, cousin. You haven't changed much. Still just as sour and bitter as ever."

"What brings Whirlpool all the way to Konoha, Hiroto-san?" Minato asks, cutting off Kushina's biting reply to get down to business.

Hiroto smiles at Kushina as she murderously glares back before answering. "We're here to try and mend fences between Whirlpool and Konoha. It's long past due both start being allies again like they used to be. Raiden-sama sent us to reestablish ties with Konoha and help with recovery efforts from the demon attack."

"Wait a minute," Minato interrupts, frowning in concern. "Who said it was a demon attack?"

Hiroto blinks in surprise. "Word around the shinobi grapevine is the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked you guys, but you figured out how to defeat it. No one knows how you did it, but you've got most of the other nations pissing their pants in fear or extremely wary of your abilities. That's why no one has tried attacking you guys while you're down."

"And you came to gauge the damage and our weakness for yourselves?" Minato bluntly asks, arching a brow.

Hiroto raises his hands in a placating gesture, "If that were the case, we'd have showed up months ago and tried attacking Konoha. Other rumors said things were in really bad shape, so it would've been easier nailing you guys right after the attack. Raiden-sama wanted to wait a few months for that reason, so it wouldn't look like we're trying to cozy up before sticking the knife in your back. We're here to help if we can as a gesture of good faith."

"Go to hell," Kushina snarls. "We don't need your help."

Angling his head slightly, Hiroto gives her a sardonic look. "Don't you think it's past time to let go of old grievances, Kushina? You made your choice to remain in Konoha married to Minato. There's no changing that fact," he shrugs. "Konoha and Whirlpool would benefit greatly by renewing old ties and maybe hashing out a new treaty. That we can discuss later. For now we're offering our assistance to help however we can. Or are you going to continue denying your need for able-bodied ninja when it's obvious your resources are stretched thin?"

Glowering, Kushina really wants to smash the smug look off her cousin's face before glancing down and sharing a look with Minato.

Minato sighs softly. He understands and agrees with his wife's sentiments, but he can't deny they desperately need as much help as possible, no matter how small.

Looking back at Hiroto. "All right, we accept your help," he replies reluctantly. "We can use you to help with security."

Hiroto smiles and bows low to them. "Thank you for giving us a chance to prove our sincerity in making amends, Minato-sama. Oh, and before I forget," he adds as an afterthought, his next words causing Minato and Kushina to tense. "Congratulations. We've heard that you two had your first child a few months ago. Raiden-sama and Jun-sama both send their regards to you, cousin."

"Thank you," Minato replies stiffly as Kushina's glare turns flinty. "Please go get settled in and in the morning stop by the Mission Room for your assignment."

Hiroto nods and leads the others out.

After they leave, Kushina whirls on Minato demanding, "Why the fuck did you accept their help? The village is doing fine without them!"

"The village is doing okay, but the ranks are stretched thin and you know it," he points out calmly. "If we weren't deliberately tying Kakashi up with guard detail, I'd have to send him out on S ranked missions because we took a huge hit in the ANBU ranks."

"That smug bastard cousin of mine is up to something and you know it, Minato," she snaps back with her arms crossed and body tense.

Minato inwardly cringes, knowing when she calls him by his full name she's truly pissed at him.

"I agree, but with all the holes in security right now, even if we turned down his help, he'd simply bide his time and wait for the chance to do whatever the hell he wants. This way we can keep an eye on them," he reasons.

"That's bullshit," she hisses, heading for the door.

Minato watches her storm out of the office, slamming the door closed behind her. Closing his eyes, he rubs a weary hand across his eyes. He's certain she's gone to find Hiruzen and take Naruto home. There's no way she'd trust the baby out of her sight with her cousin and his team loose in Konoha. He considers calling it a day to wait for her in the mansion, but decides to give her some space and push through as much work as he can so he can sneak out early.

* * *

><p>"You're back early," Minato comments, glancing up briefly from the latest parchment.<p>

"I had no reason to stay out when my best excuse was recovered by her very tense and obviously upset mother," Hiruzen quips, resuming his seat and reaching for his discarded pipe.

The younger man closes his eyes and rubs a weary hand across them. "A delegation from Whirlpool showed up, lead by Kushina's cousin Hiroto, offering aid to Konoha."

Dropping his hand he looks over at Hiruzen who gapes back, having briefly paused in lighting his pipe. Recovering his senses, he continues lighting it and takes a puff before speaking.

"Obviously it was not a happy family reunion."

"Not at all," Minato readily admits. "Didn't help hearing him say that Whirlpool and just about all the shinobi nations know we were attacked by the Kyuubi instead of simply suffering a natural disaster." Ignoring Hiruzen's arched brow he adds, "The icing on the cake was when Hiroto offered us congratulations on behalf of Kushina's parents on the birth of our first child."

Hiruzen frowns deeply in thought, clearly upset at the news. "Someone has been rather free in sharing information outside this village."

"My vote is for Fugaku or Danzo. Could even be both," he replies, setting the latest document down and reaching for the next one.

Sighing heavily, Hiruzen chews on his pipe for a few minutes. "As spread thin as we are now, it's going to be very difficult to stop these information leaks."

"We're probably going to have to be even more careful and restrictive in who is accessing classified information in particular." Minato sets down the document and leans back in his chair. His gaze is intense as he looks over at Hiruzen. "I declare an immediate moratorium on all council meetings."

Taken aback, the aged Hokage blinks at the blond in surprise. "You realize the council will vehemently protest that."

"They can protest all they want," Minato replies tersely in a tone that brooks no argument. "We waste more time keeping them informed and listening to their demands instead on focusing on what needs to be done. They are getting far too comfortable in their expectations and are forgetting we do not answer to them. They answer to us. Since some members can't be trusted to keep certain information quiet, we can't trust them to be our advisors. The security and safety of the village takes precedence over their outrage."

"That is true," Hiruzen nods in acceptance. "Their _requests_ have been sounding more like demands we should follow and certain councilors have been getting bolder. The fact our enemies are so well-informed means it was someone from among our ninja ranks or someone who would likely have contact with other shinobi nations."

"Which points right back to Fugaku and Danzo. Both are nins who'd have the ability to easily leak that information and have every reason to go out of their way to share that information," Minato points out. "We may not be in a war, but the village is in a vulnerable position where security is of the utmost importance. If the council wants to know how the village is progressing, they can walk around the village and see it with their own eyes. They don't need us to tell them."

Hiruzen chuckles and takes another drag on his pipe before asking, "What do you plan on doing about the Whirlpool nins?"

"Keep as close an eye as possible on them," Minato sighs heavily. "It's going to be hard, though."

"Their arrival certainly raises a lot of questions, especially after all these years of veiled threats for not forcing Kushina to return to them," Hiruzen muses. "Since they know it was the Kyuubi that attacked us, they certainly are aware that it had escaped Kushina somehow. It's safe to assume that since they know about you two having a child they probably know about the Kyuubi being sealed in her."

"I'm going to send a message off to sensei to find out what exactly has been leaked and by whom," Minato declares coldly. "Whether it was Danzo, Fugaku, or both, if either one did it after the law went into effect, I will happily carry out their execution myself."

Hiruzen calmly scrutinizes Minato, tamping down the shiver the younger man's glare and words gave him. Not saying another word, both men resume their work.

* * *

><p>Minato didn't even have to sneak out of work when he left early for the day. Questions as to why he isn't finishing out his day die unspoken on the lips of his staff when they sense his mood. They know it never pays to piss off one's Hokage by annoying him with questions.<p>

Since he and Kushina still live in the mansion he's home within minutes. Stepping through the front door, Kakashi looks up in surprise from where he's reading sprawled across the sofa. Remembering the Icha Icha in his hand, he immediately tucks it out of sight as he sits up.

"I'm pretending not to see it today, Kakashi," Minato smiles wearily while removing his signature flame overcoat.

Kakashi doesn't reply and watches Minato hang the overcoat in a nearby closet before unzipping his flak vest to hang it up as well.

As Minato slides the closet door shut, Kakashi quietly asks, "What's wrong with Kushina, sensei? She seemed upset when she retrieved Naruto from the Third Hokage this afternoon and has been quiet and moody since."

Before Minato can answer, Kushina walks into the room at that moment. "Sorry for worrying you, Kakashi." Crossing her arms and glaring across the room at Minato, she adds, "I just wasn't happy with one of our Hokage's decision today."

Minato opens his mouth, but is cut off by Kushina's raised hand. "I'm not mad you made that call, blondie. I know it was the only one you could make. I'm mad because you had no choice. And I'm mad my asshole cousin is daring to show his stupid face around here like nothing happened."

Glancing over at the silver haired teen still sitting on the sofa looking confused, Minato suggests, "Let's have dinner and we'll explain what's going on."

"You boys get started while I wake my girl up," Kushina states, disappearing back down the hallway.

Kakashi follows Minato into the kitchen and both start pulling out the ingredients and items they need. Minato briefly explains to Kakashi about the Whirlpool ninjas showing up wanting to help.

"The Third Hokage agrees with Kushina and I that the Whirlpool nins are up to something. There's simply too much bad blood between us for them to truly want to make amends with Konoha."

"Isn't Whirlpool supposed to be our allies, sensei?"

Stepping into the kitchen with a sullen Naruto firmly attached to her neck, Kushina's snort cuts off Minato's reply, "Only when they can get something out of the deal. Otherwise, your ass is on it's own."

Knowing Naruto would not be happy if she tries putting her in the high chair right now, Kushina continues while settling in a chair and her daughter cuddles further into her neck.

"Back in the day when my grandfather was alive and in charge, yeah, Whirlpool would offer aid without any strings attached. My father Raiden isn't remotely as honorable and would gladly hogtie you when you aren't looking and throw you to your enemies if it benefits him."

"Raiden wanted to increase Whirlpool's wealth and power," Minato clarifies as he starts heating up the wok. "He didn't have the strategic savvy and skill to pull it off. Thanks to his bad decisions, Whirlpool has been in a steady, rapid decline for years."

"One of the biggest mistakes my father made was sending me to Konoha to train," Kushina smirks. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here talking or making you act as our ANBU nanny, Kakashi."

Pausing in dicing up the Daikon radish, Kakashi glares over his shoulder at the grinning redhead.

Minato laughs before taking his turn again. "What's not commonly known is that Kushina is the only child and heir to the ruling ninja clan in Whirlpool. Instead of a Daimyo and a ninja village, the Uzumakis rule all. Over the years Whirlpool has lost a lot of territory to other countries because of bad treaties and war. Raiden believed sending her under the guise of training would strengthen ties between Konoha and Whirlpool, attempting to gloss over the fact they were the ones eroding those ties. While she was here, it was determined that Kushina would also make an excellent candidate to become the next Kyuubi jinchuriki. Raiden realized that her becoming the next container would give control of the Kyuubi to Whirlpool."

Kushina grins adding, "What my parents hadn't counted on was my meeting Minato and taking so well to my kunoichi training. My father wanted to arrange a marriage for me that would've brought more power and the future opportunity to make Whirlpool a major political player again. So while I was here, he insisted I endear myself to the Uchiha clan."

Having started washing some of the dishes while Minato cooks, Kakashi pauses again to gape at her for a moment before shuddering in horror.

"My sentiments exactly," she laughs, causing a now more alert Naruto to laugh. "I loved being a kunoichi for Konoha, so I decided to stop playing along with my parent's wishes. I went to Hiruzen to snitch out their plans and tell him my desire to renounce all ties to Whirlpool. I had the Kyuubi at this point, so the Old Man wasn't willing to allow me to end up under Whirlpool's complete control. It didn't hurt that I had fallen in love with blondie at this point."

Throwing in the rest of the ingredients for the stir fry, Minato adds, "Although we were very young and would've liked to have waited until the war was over, the Third suggested we marry quickly to strengthen Konoha's overall claim on Kushina. It'd give Whirlpool very little legal recourse, not without becoming an outright enemy. As it was, Whirlpool attempted to remain neutral during the war instead of helping their allies. They became targets of Iwa and Suna. Had they assisted Konoha, they would've had help in return from us. Since they didn't, they came out with heavy losses. That's how you and Rin ended up witnessing our marriage in the Hokage's office."

Pausing to dish the food onto the plates next to the rice he made earlier, Minato continues speaking.

"Kushina's parents tried insisting that a binding marriage contract had recently been entered with the Uchiha clan where she'd wed the clan head, Fugaku. However, the Third outmaneuvered them saying since the contract wasn't entered into earlier the only way a recent arrangement could be binding was if the Uzumaki and Uchiha had sought his approval first. We asked for permission to marry before they tried claiming such an arrangement already existed and since the Kyuubi belongs to Konoha, he wasn't inclined to withdraw his approval."

Kakashi and Minato finish setting the table before sitting down while Kushina places Naruto in her high chair and starts feeding her.

"My parents weren't happy about missing a good opportunity. They make a great example of why some people should never have kids," Kushina rolls her eyes, before giving Naruto another bite of food. "They definitely didn't love me and had always been clear my value depended heavily on my usefulness to their goals. It's why they focused on raising me to be a well-rounded woman, so I'd be more appealing to whomever they decided to marry me off to. Of course, I'd jump at the chance to come to Konoha," she smirks, causing Naruto to smile. "At first, my parents were upset when it was discovered I was the best candidate to become the next jinchuriki until they saw the potential in snatching the Kyuubi away from Konoha."

Giving Kushina a chance to eat her food, Minato takes over feeding Naruto, as she sips her tea and continues her narrative. "But I'm a typical Uzumaki in terms of stubbornness and determination and wasn't gonna give in to them. So they tried everything they could to get control of me again. The Uchiha definitely were hoping they'd succeed because they were practically pissing in their pants in excitement to get me in their midst after my parents told them about my foxy secret. When they exhausted all legal avenues they tried every other means they could think of to get me back, including threats and bribery. But since I had asylum in Konoha there wasn't much they could do except return me by force."

"A couple of attempts were made to kidnap Kushina when she was on a mission," Minato adds, giving Naruto another piece of carrot. "But she proved beyond a doubt that she took to her shinobi training like a fish to water. Kushina and her teammates easily foiled her kidnappers. Raiden denied all accusations, claiming the ninja trying to kidnap her were rogues. Naturally, these attempts further strained Whirlpools relations with Konoha."

"Why accept their help then?" Kakashi asks. "Recovery efforts are progressing well."

"Because Konoha needs every able bodied ninja we can get thanks to the Kyuubi attack," Kushina sighs heavily. "As loathe as I am to accept my kinsmen's help, I had to swallow my pride when Minato accepted their offer."

"That doesn't mean we won't be watching the Whirlpool ninjas closely," Minato states pointedly.

"A classic case of keeping your enemy closer, right?" Kakashi asks, finishing his food.

Kushina nods. "We're going to have to become more vigilant because I don't doubt they know about Naruto containing the Kyuubi now thanks to Danzo's big mouth and everyone, including Fugaku's dead grandma knowing about it." A determined glint lights up her eyes as she adds, "Even if they don't know about that, I've got to get back into top form as soon as possible because my kinsmen aren't above using Naruto against me."

Arching a brow while eyeing her over his shoulder, Minato pointedly states, "I'll put more guards on you two if I have to if you're not going to stay within my sight 24/7, but you are _not_ going to push past the boundaries of Tsunade's orders any further than you already do and risk killing yourself, Kushina."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she snarls quietly, narrowing her eyes at her husband. "Our ranks are stretched too fucking thin. Hell, funeral services are still being held, Min! I'm not talking about taking 'A' and 'B' ranked missions. That'd be suicide, but give me a couple of months and I can easily handle a couple of 'C' ranked just so we can show my bastard cousin we don't need his sorry ass."

Recognizing this is the start of one of their rare blowouts, Kakashi quietly maneuvers over to Naruto. She finished eating and is staring at her parents wide-eyed, picking up on their anger. Slipping her out of her high chair, he quietly leaves the room.

"It's too soon," Minato snaps angrily. "Tsunade's orders are for you to take it easy for several months before taking to the field again."

"Don't you think I know that?" Kushina snaps back.

"You know it, but choose to ignore it," Minato argues. "Tsunade knows what she's talking about and if she says it's too dangerous to push training then it is."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Kushina yells at him. "We've both taken to the field against doctor's orders because there was no choice. How many times did we step back onto the battlefield because there weren't enough ninjas?"

She gives him a chance to answer, but he merely glares back.

Taking a deep breath, she continues in a calmer voice. "If we had the manpower, I wouldn't be pushing so hard to get back out there. I want to be around to raise our daughter, so I've got no problem swallowing my pride to wait until I'm completely healed before taking missions again."

Her gaze drops off to the side before meeting Minato's inscrutable gaze. "I really love the time I'm spending with Naruto. If I could, I'd seriously be considering retiring from the field altogether. Who would've thought I'd ever say that, huh?" she snorts with a smirk.

"I'll have to check to see if hell has frozen over," Minato quips.

"Shut it, blondie," Kushina snaps playfully. Becoming serious, she bores into his eyes. "We don't have the luxury where I can kick back and recuperate. The village needs money. I've seen the ledgers; we're in the red so bad it looks like a stuck pig bled all over them. And if the world thinks we don't have enough ninja, they'll go elsewhere with the jobs. And we can't risk having a viper like my cousin around, especially since we don't know what he's up to and could strike at any time. I have to be in shape to handle that. It's why you dragged Tsunade back."

Resting his elbows on the table on next to his empty plate, Minato buries his face in his hands with a groan. After a few moments he drops them to lean back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"Okay, this is my compromise. It's been about three months since your last treatment with Tsunade. I'll give you another three months and we'll settle this with a spar. If you beat me, I'll let you return to the field. If I win, you stop all training and follow Tsunade's orders to the letter for another six months when I'll summon her back to check on your progress. Deal?"

Kushina mulls it over before a huge grin spreads across her face. "Deal!"

Briefly closing his eyes with a soft sigh, Minato quietly adds, "Please don't make me regret giving you this chance by getting yourself killed later if you win. I don't think I can do it without you."

Kushina's grin drops as she rises to her feet and moves around the table to settle herself in his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she feels his arms wind around her waist as she leans her forehead against his to gaze deeply into his eyes.

"I don't plan on letting that happen. I want to raise the family I always wished I had. One where children are genuinely loved without conditions or expectations of what they can do that could benefit us. I want to watch our baby girl grow up and protect her and give her as normal a life as we can. It's going to be hard enough thanks to Danzo's vindictive big mouth, so it's going to take the two of us to accomplish that."

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know," Minato smiles softly.

"I don't doubt it," Kushina replies before pressing her lips to his. "Now let's clean up so we can spend some time with Kakashi and our girl without discussing my asshole family."

"All right," Minato agrees, pressing another kiss to her lips before letting her move off his lap so they can clear the table.

* * *

><p>Things happen in their own due time.<p>

It's a belief Hiroto always held tightly to. While others demand immediate satisfaction, he's content to let things happen, when they happen and take advantage of every opportunity presented. He doesn't do it because he's lazy, he simply doesn't like feebly trying to plan for every contingency when it's easier and far more beneficial to see all the cards laid out and then act accordingly.

It's why he took a couple weeks to settle his team in Konoha before accepting a standing dinner invitation from an old friend. He wanted to see how his team would be treated and how obvious Minato would be with his suspicion. Once he understood their current environment then he could comfortably accept the dinner invitation.

Being in no particular hurry, the redhead maintains a leisurely pace while taking in the sights as the sun slowly sinks on the horizon, deepening the shadows.

The temperature is still leaning toward the hot side of warm, but compared to earlier in the day it feels quite comfortable. Despite the devastation, Hiroto thought the reconstruction is coming along nicely.

The eyes he feels watching him from the shadows don't bother the tall man in the slightest. He mentally applauds Minato for not letting the position of Hokage dull his sharp wit. He's certain the blond has figured out why his team is in Konoha. The knowledge the other man has doesn't upset him in the slightest, either.

It's not long before he arrives at his destination. Knocking on the impressive gates, Hiroto calmly waits to be ushered inside. Within minutes he is greeted respectfully before being led through the main footpaths to the main clan home. He no longer feels the eyes hidden in the shadows tracking him and smirks knowing they can't follow him inside these well-guarded walls, not without serious repercussions.

It's mere minutes before his guide ushers him inside the grand home before taking their leave with instructions that his host will be with him shortly. True to the guide's words his host enters the room and Hiroto smiles warmly at the familiar face he hasn't seen in years.

"It's nice to see you again, Fugaku," he bows deeply in greeting.

"It's been far too long, my friend," Uchiha Fugaku replies with his own bow.

"It would've been hard stopping by to visit, all things considered," Hiroto smirks.

"So true," Fugaku replies. "Dinner is just about ready. Why don't we eat and then we can catch up with each other afterward."

"Sounds good to me."

As always, Hiroto enjoys dinner with Fugaku. However, now he has the added pleasure of meeting his friend's wife and children. He feels Fugaku made an excellent choice with Mikoto. She makes a far more appropriate wife for the clan head than the obstinate Kushina would have. Hiroto also enjoys talking to the oldest child, Itachi, finding the small boy incredibly intelligent and precocious.

After dinner, Mikoto excuses herself to put the toddler Sasuke to bed, taking her oldest with her so the two men can retire to Fugaku's study to catch up.

"You're looking good, Hiroto," Fugaku comments, handing the redhead a saucer of sake before settling onto a cushion nearby. "You're not being made to feel too unwelcome in the village are you?"

Hiroto waves it off, "Nothing I can't ignore. It's not entirely unexpected you know. I never thought Minato a stupid man and he certainly hasn't disappointed. He certainly was an excellent choice for your Hokage."

Glancing over at Fugaku, Hiroto laughs at the look of annoyance that briefly flits across his face. "Don't take offense, my friend. I'm merely stating the truth, but I'm not saying he was the only good choice for Hokage. There were others who would've been as good."

"Or better," Fugaku mutters.

"Perhaps," Hiroto concedes. "But that depends on the circumstances presented to the individual, so that is too subjective a point to judge accurately. However, I'm fairly certain that had Minato not become Hokage circumstances wouldn't have worked out to present Whirlpool with the golden opportunity to reclaim what should've been rightfully ours years ago."

"So you've been receiving my missives with little trouble then?"

"Yes. Your clansmen's skills are to be commended because I imagine it couldn't have been easy sneaking those letters to Raiden-sama considering how restricted their movements have been."

"Glad we could continue being of assistance to our allies."

"Help that's been greatly appreciated, Fugaku," Hiroto nods. "It's hard keeping a close eye on things from a distance, but as the Uzumaki heir, Kushina was too valuable to give up completely. It simply became a matter of biding our time, waiting for the right opportunity."

Pausing to sip his sake, Hiroto smiles, stating, "This is really good stuff."

Fugaku merely nods, sipping from his cup while the redhead continues speaking.

"When you informed us about Kushina's pregnancy we realized it was the perfect time to strike. She'd be vulnerable while pregnant. Even now, arriving after she's given birth, the situation is still to our advantage."

"It worked out better that you arrived now. It would've been impossible to get close enough to her prior to the Kyuubi attack," Fugaku points out.

"Absolutely. She is far more vulnerable because not only does her child make for the perfect leverage if needed. There's the added bonus that she no longer contains the Kyuubi. That's two ways she's considerably weakened."

"Despite her weakness, it will be difficult to get both of them back to Whirlpool."

"Who said anything about getting them both back to Whirlpool?" Hiroto arches a brow. At Fugaku's confused expression he smirks, "The baby holds the Kyuubi now, why would we bother with her obstinate mother when it's much easier to raise the child from infancy, correcting the mistakes we made with Kushina? It's simply easier to attempt claiming the child now when Kushina is at her weakest."

"It will still be difficult getting close. Your presence has put them on alert," Fugaku reasons.

Taking another sip of sake, Hiroto waves it off. "There's no rush. Let them play their hand and we'll simply take advantage of their mistakes. My question is, are you willing to help when those mistakes happen?"

Fugaku holds steady blue eyes before observing, "It seems that you already have in mind the role you'd like my clan to play."

"That's what I've always liked about you, Fugaku, I hardly have to explain anything to you," Hiroto smirks. "Your role is to help us get the baby out of Konoha. In exchange for your help, Whirlpool will help the Uchiha rule Konoha as they should have from the beginning."

"The ruling factions of Konoha have always stood ready to subdue any attempts on our part to escape our pigeon hole. We could lose a great deal," Fugaku intones coldly.

"Or gain a great deal. Uzumakis have a very long memory, Fugaku. Once we have the baby, she'll replace Kushina as the clan heir. Children grow fast and before you know it, she'll be of marrying age."

Hiroto pauses to hold out his saucer, silently asking Fugaku to refill it. Fugaku arches a brow, but silently complies, watching as the redhead takes a sip before continuing.

"By the way, that boy of yours, Itachi, is a sharp lad. What is he, about four? And your youngest, isn't he about one? Almost the same age as Kushina's child from what I've heard."

Fugaku intensely stares at Hiroto before offering a rare smile.

"Exactly," Hiroto nods. "There is a great deal of risk in helping us and it might cost you a clan member or two, but the future return is well worth it. Having a jinchuriki marry into your clan would be quite helpful in reclaiming the glory of the Uchiha."

Fugaku nods his agreement. "Yes, that it would. I'm not one to callously throw away the lives of any of my clansmen, but their sacrifices will be noteworthy as it only furthers the agendas of both our clans."

"Glad you see it that way," Hiroto grins. "I'd like to suggest you don't sacrifice your best people. Select ones capable of helping us get the baby out of the tower. It will help deflect some of the suspicion as it would make more sense for you to use your best people if you were truly involved in such a fiendish plot," he finishes facetiously.

"You enjoy the intrigue far too much, Hiroto." The redhead merely grins wider, not denying it as Fugaku continues. "That is a good idea. Just as it wouldn't be a good idea to use my weakest clansmen or the plan could fail."

Raising his saucer in toast, Hiroto declares, "To the birth of a great plan and a brighter future."

Fugaku raises his saucer to clink lightly against Hiroto's in toast before both men take a sip, sealing the deal.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: _Slam and dunk. As promised, I got this done and barely at the tail end of August. I just didn't have this ready when I updated Facilitating Between Heaven and Hell and Underneath the Leaves. I have an accompanying one-shot to UTL that I intend to post before either updating all of them again OR kicking off another story I've been working on._

_I'll probably end up doing both. ;P_

_I have to say that I've really enjoyed writing Kushina. She was a difficult character for me to grasp because I don't feel she has appeared enough in canon to really get to know her that well. She's more nuanced than simply having a similar personality to Naruto. I've taken some liberties because of that and like how she's turned out for me.  
><em>

_Glad to see everyone enjoying this story. Nice to see all the alerts and communities its been added to. Thanks for reading!_


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